URBANA - A priest formerly assigned to Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal pleaded not guilty Thursday to allegations that he sold cocaine from a Catholic student center at the University of Illinois.

The Rev. Christopher Layden was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after police searched the St. John's Catholic Newman Center and Layden's residence at the rectory across the street from the center. Both are on the U of I campus in Champaign.

Christopher Layden

Layden faces two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. All the charges state that the drug transactions took place near a church.

A statement from the Diocese of Peoria said Bishop Daniel Jenky "was shocked and saddened to hear of the arrest of Father Chris Layden."

Layden has been suspended from all pastoral duties and the diocese is cooperating with police, the statement said.

"Never at any time prior to Father Layden's arrest did the diocese or the Newman Center have any suspicion of problems concerning drug use" by Layden, according to a statement from Diocese Chancellor Patricia Gibson.

Layden must post $5,000 to be released from jail. If convicted, he faces 30 years in prison on the more serious charges.

The 33-year-old priest was in Champaign County Circuit Court with his lawyer, Mark Lipton.

University police confirmed that about 3 grams of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia were confiscated during the search, which was done with a search warrant.

The arrest came after a two-week investigation into drug sales, said police.

Layden has recently served as a substitute pastor at Sunday Mass at the Normal parish.

Monsignor Eric Powell, pastor of Epiphany, reacted to the charges against his colleague.

"If it's true, it's dreadful, simply dreadful," Powell said Thursday.

Layden was assigned to Epiphany from 2003 to 2005. He also taught at Central Catholic High School, Bloomington, before his transfer to the student center in Urbana.

His duties at Epiphany included pastoral work at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Downs.

The Hoopeston native was ordained in 2001 and also has served at churches in the Quad Cities and Ottawa.