Father Dave Glockner

Gate City, Virginia — One hundred police officers patrolled Main Street. A police helicopter circled above. The Ku Klux Klan had come to this small southwest Virginia town, the seat of Scott County. Thanks to the efforts of Father Dave Glockner and others, Gate City had a message for the Klan: "Love Thy Neighbor."

Those words were embossed across helium-filled balloons. Father Dave and representatives of the Appalachian Peace Education Center, supported by fellow Glenmarians, Fathers Les Schmidt, John Rausch, and Brother Jeff Stiefvater, distributed them to the crowd. About 1,000 people lined Main Street to witness a Klan march, the first of several to be held throughout the state.

Before the Klan arrived, Father Dave had mustered the aid of local ministers. They suggested that their congregations participate in prayer vigils during the march. Following the Klan event, an ecumenical service was held at the Assembly of God Church.

What had been a potentially volatile situation had been defused.

"I felt some kind of a Christian statement had to be made," Father Dave said. "We raised the consciousness of the people as to the evils of the Klan and the choices that would have to be made. We gave support to some fearful people."

This article originally appeared in the the Winter 1985 Glenmary Challenge