Rev. William Aitcheson served at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax City (Photo via St. Leo the Great)
A Catholic priest in Virginia said he’s stepping down from the clergy after writing that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan “as an impressionable young man.”
Rev. William Aitcheson, who most recently served with the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, wrote in an editorial for The Arlington Catholic Herald on Monday that the images from Charlottesville “brought back memories of a bleak period in my life that I would have preferred to forget.”
He said that although his KKK membership is public record, many people are unaware of his actions in the hate group more than 40 years ago. While he believes God has forgiven him, he’s voluntarily stepping away from public ministry for the well being of the church and parish community.
“My actions were despicable,” Aitcheson said. “When I think back on burning crosses, a threatening letter, and so on, I feel as though I am speaking of somebody else. It’s hard to believe that was me.”
As a 23-year-old University of Maryland student in 1977, The Washington Post reported that police charged Aitcheson with six cross-burnings in Prince George’s County, as well as making bomb threats and manufacturing pipe bombs. Police identified him as a leader of the Robert E. Lee Lodge of the Maryland Knights of the KKK, which planned to blow up facilities at Fort Meade.
“We must condemn, at every opportunity, the hatred and vile beliefs of the KKK and other white supremacist organizations,” Aitcheson said. “What they believe directly contradicts what we believe as Americans and what we, as Catholics, hold dear.”
Catholic Diocese of Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge wrote in a statement that while Aitcheson’s past is “deeply troubling,” there are no accusations of racism or bigotry against him throughout his time in the Diocese of Arlington.
Aitcheson, a Virginia native, officially became a permanent priest of the Diocese of Arlington in 1998. Before that, he was a priest of the Diocese of Reno, where he was ordained in 1988.
Since 2014, he’s served as parochial vicar at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax City.
Bishop BurbidgeI said the he prays that “in our current political and social climate,” Aitcheson’s message “will reach those who support hate and division, and inspire them to a conversion of heart. Our Lord is ready to help them begin a new journey, one where they will find peace, love, and mercy.”
BurbidgeI approved Aitcheson for a temporary leave of absence from parish duties on Monday.
The photo in this article has been changed to St. Leo the Great in Fairfax City, where Aitcheson most recently served as parochial vicar.
