Who determines what is an ugly church?

Crystal Cathedral sale to Diocese of Orange approved

Los Angeles Times | Nov. 17, 2011 | 7:17 p.m.

 

A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Diocese of Orange for $57.5 million.

Read this Los Angeles Times story by clicking on the following:  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crystal-cathedral-20111118,0,3449359.story?track=rss

 

Here is the story of the building from Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Cathedral  Note the yellow highlighted words regarding the Catholic Diocese’s plans.

Origins and construction

 

Interior of the church in 2005

Affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, the Garden Grove Community Church was founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and his wife Arvella.^[8] The first church services were held in space rented from the Orange Drive-In Theatre.

In 1961, the congregation moved to a new sanctuary designed by architect Richard Neutra.^[8] In 1968, The Tower of Hope was completed, providing office and classroom space.^[8] Continued growth led to the need for a new facility.^[8] Schuller envisioned a unique facility with walls made of glass and commissioned noted architect Philip Johnson to put his dream into reality.^[8][9] Construction on the Crystal Cathedral began in 1977 and was completed in 1980, built at a cost of $18 million.^[8][9] The signature rectangular panes of glass comprising the building are not bolted to the structure; they are glued to it using a silicone-based glue. This and other measures are intended to allow the building to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.0.^[2]

Upon moving from the old Neutra sanctuary to the new Johnson sanctuary, the congregation changed its name to the Crystal Cathedral. In 1990 the Prayer Spire was completed.^[10]

[edit] Organ

Main article: Crystal Cathedral organ

The church's 273 rank, five manual pipe organ is one of the largest in the world.^[11] Constructed by Fratelli Ruffatti and based on specifications by Virgil Fox and expanded by Frederick Swann, the instrument incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ built in 1962 for New York's Avery Fisher Hall, and the Ruffatti organ which had been installed in the church's previous sanctuary. Swann was organist at the Crystal Cathedral between 1982–1998.

Prayer Spire

[edit] Crystal Cathedral Ministries bankruptcy

Beginning in 2010, creditors filed lawsuits to collect money due to them for providing goods, services and broadcasting The Hour of Power weekly TV show. A board member said that the total debt was $55 million.^[12][13] The church's board filed for bankruptcy on October 18, 2010, citing $43 million in debt including a $36 million mortgage and $7.5 million in other debt. Church officials said that they had been trying to negotiate payments but after several suits were filed and writs of attachment were granted the church had to declare bankruptcy.^[14] The church has received offers for the building from a real estate investment group^[5] and from Chapman University,^[6] both with the provision of being leased back to the church.

On July 3, 2011, local newspapers and other outlets reported that Robert H. Schuller had been voted off the church's board of trustees by the other board members.^[15][16]

On July 7, 2011, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange announced that it was "potentially interested in buying" the building "to meet the needs of the 1.2 million Catholics in Orange County".^[17]Two weeks later, the diocese followed up with a cash offer of $53.6 million which included a lease-back provision at below market rates for a period of time.^[18][19]

On November 17, 2011, a federal judge approved the sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.^[20] The diocese plans to lease the facility to Crystal Cathedral Ministries for 3 years, after which Crystal Cathedral Ministries will relocate to a smaller facility nearby that currently houses a Catholic church. Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange, stated that the diocese will hire an architect to renovate the facility "so it will be suitable for a Catholic place of worship," but has "no intention to change the exterior of the building."^[7]