A Maryland man was arrested and charged on Thursday after authorities in St. Mary’s County reported that he disrupted a church’s Christmas Eve midnight mass by pouring whiskey into the holy water.
Thomas Campbell Bolling Von Goetz, 34, of Avenue, Maryland, caused disturbances at two churches in the county on Christmas Eve, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
The first incident occurred just after 5 p.m. at Holy Angels Catholic Church, where Von Goetz entered during mass, approached the altar, and placed an onion in the aisle. He was also reported to be disturbing the peace of those present. A church member escorted him out, but Von Goetz had more produce on him and threw tangerines at the congregant, which was considered assault by the sheriff’s office.
Later that night, at midnight mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Leonardtown, deputies said Von Goetz poured whiskey into the holy water and threatened to harm parishioners. As he was escorted out, he attempted to strike churchgoers with his whiskey bottle.
Parishioners managed to detain Von Goetz until deputies arrived, and he was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office charged Von Goetz with multiple offenses, including assault, disorderly conduct, threatening mass violence, and defacing religious property. He is being held at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
