Northeast
Man arrested for disrupting Christmas church services, pouring whiskey into holy water: deputies
A Maryland man was arrested after he disrupted two local churches’ Christmas Eve services, including pouring whiskey into the holy water.
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office announced that Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 56, of Avenue, was arrested and charged with several offenses after he caused a scene during religious services and endangered citizens.
Shortly after 5 pm on Christmas Eve, deputies said Von Goetz entered Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue during a Mass and approached the altar and dropped an onion in the aisle, disturbing the peace of those attending.
Deputies said a witness followed Von Goetz as he exited the church to make sure he was leaving and saw him then assault another person by throwing tangerines at him.
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A Maryland man is accused of disrupting Christmas Eve church services and disturbing parishioners. (St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office)
Later that night, deputies said Von Goetz struck again, this time, during Midnight Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown.
Deputies said Von Goetz disrupted the service by pouring whiskey into the holy water and threatened to harm parishioners.
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BAGHDAD, IRAQ – APRIL 7: Worshippers pray at a service for Pope John Paul II on April, 7, 2005 at a Catholic church in Baghdad, Iraq. Pope John Paul II died at his residence in the Vatican on April 2, aged 84 years old. His funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Friday, April 8. Cardinals under the age of 80 will start the conclave on April 18, where a new Pope will be chosen. (Photo by Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images) (2005 Getty Images)
As church attendees escorted him from the building, deputies said he attempted unsuccessfully to hit several individuals with a whiskey bottle.
Parishioners were able to detain Von Goetz until deputies arrived.
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In this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 photo, Lavon Ferrell, left front, attends Sunday Mass at Saint Mary the Virgin Catholic Church in Arlington, Texas. The conservative church became a Roman Catholic church in 1994 after it left the Episcopal Church. (AP Photo/Amy Gutierrez)
Von Goetz was then transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.
On December 26, 2024, deputies said Von Goetz was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Assault, Disorderly Conduct, Defacing Religious Property, Religious Crime Against a Group, Obstructing a Religious Exercise, Threat of Mass Violence and Disturbing the Peace.
He is currently being held at St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, pending an appearance before a District Court Commissioner.
Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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Boston, MA
Boston Catholics offer mixed views on pope’s remarks following US operation in Venezuela – The Boston Globe
Digennaro’s wife, Judy, shook her head in disagreement.
“I feel quite the other way,” said Judy Digennaro, 72. “It might start rifts, but what’s most important is people talking, and that’s what the pope is trying to do.”
During a news conference with Vatican reporters in December, the pope called for dialogue between the United States and Venezuela. On Friday, he said violence had replaced dialogue as a means of resolving conflict and reiterated an earlier call to “respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord.”
Some local Catholics said the remarks felt like an overstep. David Digennaro said he supports the Trump administration’s move to shift Venezuela’s leadership away from Maduro and would prefer the pope to limit his comments to humanitarian issues.
“If he’s talking about the people that live [in Venezuela,] that’s fine,” he said. “But if he’s referencing Maduro, that’s politics, and I’d turn away from it.”
Outside St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine in Back Bay, parishioners in crisp suits and colorful dresses filed out onto the sidewalk after Mass on Sunday afternoon. Several people said the pope’s address had not been mentioned during the service and praised the clergy for keeping the news separate from religious teaching.
Others voiced support for Pope Leo’s broader message of peace and dialogue but said they prefer that the pontiff avoid specifics.
Jordan Williamson, 35, of Quincy, said the pope is not the authority on international affairs. She said she looks to politicians for details about global conflicts and to Leo for moral guidance.
“The pope should be a moral voice that lays down the framework for why we do things,” said Williamson, who has attended the Boylston Street church for more than a decade. “But we all have jobs … and Mass is meant to transcend all of that.”
Williamson’s friend, Sandra Pastrana of Arlington, agreed, saying she often steers her Bible study group away from political debate. Still, she said she recognizes that there are moments when religious leaders need to speak their minds.
“It’s never good for the church to get involved in politics, but as a moral voice of how the world should live within what’s going on, the church has a duty to say these things,” said Pastrana, 63.
Judy Digennaro said Leo’s address was encouraging, adding that society cannot move forward positively without open discussion.
“I’m happy when the pope has something to say and when he promotes peace and justice,” she said. “As Catholics, that’s what we’re all about, so if he’s willing to speak and say something, all the better.”
Many Boston churchgoers were unaware of the pope’s address and said that they focused more on the words of their individual priests.
Gobran Hanna, an electrical engineer who moved to Cambridge in June and attends St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine, said he tends to spend time with members of the Catholic community who are less focused on politics, but conversations with fellow congregants about Israel, Ukraine, and Venezuela help keep him informed about global affairs.
Hanna said he welcomes Leo’s efforts to speak out against international injustices.
“When the pope makes a statement that might be related to politics, I look at that and see how it applies to my own life,” said Hanna, 23. “It’s not about somebody on this side or somebody on that side, it’s about how we can apply the lessons that the pope is teaching us.”
Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at lila.hempeledgers@globe.com. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.
Pittsburg, PA
Nearly a Century Old, This Sears House Kit Home in Fineview is Still Fine | Pittsburgh Magazine
Built in 1928, the hillside home is packed with original millwork, charming details and loads of storage.
PHOTOS BY DONNELLY MEDIA, LLC
When Alena Taylor Keefe was in elementary school, her family moved to 2035 Biggs Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Fineview neighborhood.
The year was 1975, and she recalls being delighted with the Craftsman-style home built from a Sears housing kit that her family would call theirs for the next 50 years.
“It’s a place that you can call home,” she says. “Some places you can’t really say that about, but it’s just such a great family home.”

Built in 1928, the house has three bedrooms and one bathroom packed into 1,500 square feet.
“I grump about the fact that there’s only one bathroom and the kitchen is small because I love to cook, but I still made it work for many family suppers,” Keefe says. “We hosted holiday dinners where we extended the dining table into the living room to accommodate everybody. It was just home.”

The first floor of the home has that small, yet functional kitchen, a nicely sized dining room and a large living room that spans the front of the home. Keefe warmly recalls coming down the front staircase on Christmas mornings and posing in formal dresses beside the steps before school dances. She says her family also enjoyed the long front porch that runs along the living room.
“My dad would come out and read the newspaper, and I’d be on the swing with my mom while she worked on her crochet,” she says.
On the second floor, three equally sized bedrooms share a hallway bathroom with double sinks. A set of pull-down stairs leads to ample storage under the eaves.

Now in their 80s, Keefe’s parents have moved to a maintenance-free home near Keefe’s current home in Beaver County, so they can continue to enjoy family dinners together, but without the responsibility of home ownership.
While Keefe is wistful about selling the home her parents carefully loved for half a century, she is certain a new buyer will recognize its charm and value.
“So much has never been touched,” she says. “There is original woodwork, an original fireplace that still has a coal chute to the outside and a lovely built-in China cabinet in the dining room.”

Keefe also touts the home’s plentiful storage; there’s a clean, dry basement, attic storage and a detached two-car garage with a lower level could be space for a workshop, studio or general storage.
Keefe notes the roof was replaced in the last decade; there also were updates to the HVAC, including adding air conditioning, and the family replaced the upstairs flooring in preparation to sell the carefully maintained home.

The house is now listed by Brian Larson of Howard Hanna for $245,000. He says it checks all the right boxes for a first-time homebuyer — or anyone shopping for a clean, well-maintained home.
“This is a home that has clearly been loved and lived in with care,” says Larson. “Over the years, attention has been given to maintaining and improving the property in a way that supports comfortable, everyday living. While no home of this era is ever ‘finished,’ per se, the overall condition reflects consistent stewardship rather than deferred maintenance.”

Larson says buyers should not have issues with financing for this home, including loans through the Federal Housing Administration or other specialized lending programs. Priced right around the city’s median home price, Larson encourages shoppers to check it out.
“Many first-time buyer programs are available that may offer down payment assistance and competitive interest rates, helping make homeownership more attainable for qualified buyers,” he says.
Larson adds that he loves the sun-soaked room that runs along the front of the home, as well as the wide front porch and the property’s proximity to Fineview Park.
“Fineview is also known as one of the best vantage points in the city for fireworks and skyline views,” he adds. “With convenient bus access and an easy commute to Downtown, the neighborhood offers a unique blend of tranquility, accessibility and city connection.”

Keefe says that while the neighbors have changed over the course of 50 years, her family has always been thankful for the close-knit Fineview community.
“There are some chickens running loose, but everybody up there is so kind,” she says with a laugh. “The mailman lives up on the corner; everybody knows everybody. It’s just so nice.”
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Connecticut
Connecticut’s Murphy: Greenland Is a Distraction
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said Sunday that if President Trump acts on his desire to “annex Greenland,” that would end the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He also suggested the whole Greenland issue was an unnecessary distraction.
“It would be the end of NATO,” the Democrat told NBC’s Meet the Press. “NATO would have an obligation to defend Greenland.” That, he suggested, would pit the U.S. against its NATO peers.
Murphy said the larger issue is that the president is “spending every single day thinking about invading Greenland, managing the Venezuelan economy, building a ballroom.” That takes time away from addressing healthcare and affordability issues, he said.
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