[Episcopal News Service] The dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has resigned as he faces criminal charges of shoplifting, according to an update from Pittsburgh Bishop Ketlen Solak, who said the dean also was suspected of improperly selling cathedral property.
The Very Rev. Aidan Smith, 42, had been on leave from the cathedral since late January related to “an ongoing investigation into questions we received … that he may have failed to safeguard the property of the church,” Solak said in her March 14 letter to the congregation.
The Very Rev. Aidan Smith had led Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, since 2019. Photo: Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
After a disciplinary case already had been opened against Smith under the church’s Title IV canons, Smith reportedly was arrested Feb. 27 for allegedly shoplifting baseball cards worth $1,100 from a Walmart in the suburban Pittsburgh borough of Economy. The Associated Press reported he was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property.
“Given news reports about his arrest, I believe it is now pastorally appropriate to make you aware that for a number of weeks, we have been looking into whether Aidan improperly sold artifacts belonging to the cathedral through online platforms,” Solak said.
Smith had led Trinity Episcopal Cathedral since 2019, first as provost and the following year as the congregation’s dean.
“While the civic charges related to Aidan’s arrest for retail theft are entirely separate from allegations that he failed to safeguard church property, the two matters will proceed as one Title IV case,” Solak said. “Aidan has resigned as dean, but he remains canonically resident as a member of the clergy in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is subject to the Title IV process. Members of the clergy are presumed innocent in Title IV matters unless or until proven otherwise.
“Please continue to pray for Aidan, his family, and for everyone impacted by these events,” she said.