The Crystal Cathedral, an Orange County landmark and one of the nation’s best-known Protestant churches, is now owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.  Escrow closed Friday afternoon on the $57.5 million court-ordered sale, the diocese said.  The Schuller’s, the family who have owned the Cathedral since 1980, were not quick to let the Hollywood-esque property go.

In fact, Crystal Cathedral insiders, including Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman, Schuller’s daughter, tried to derail the sale to the diocese last week. They claimed the congregation had a 99-year lease with bankrupt Crystal Cathedral Ministries, which had agreed to the cathedral’s sale in bankruptcy court.  However, no copy of the lease could be found and U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kwan ordered the sale to go forward.

The Catholic diocese is not moving into the Cathedral immediately.  They have offered the Crystal Cathedral congregation the option to lease the landmark church and other buildings for $100,000 a month for the next year, rising to $150,000 a month for two more years.  After that, the diocese is offering the congregation a longer-term lease at nearby St. Callistus Church. The purchase ends the diocese’s 25-year search for a cathedral of its own.

Things are happening in Orange County real estate!

Article Tab: The sun reflects off the main tower at Crystal Cathedral. The cathedral is now a Catholic church owned by the Diocese of Orange. The purchase also ends the diocese's 25-year search for a cathedral of its own.

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Cheryl Marquis has been an active and successful real estate agent in South Orange County, California for more than 25 years. As a TOP PRODUCER in her company, Cheryl has received the specific accreditation of a Certified Relocation Specialist (CRS) and Accredited Buyers Agent (ABR) and is a member of the Who’s Who of Luxury Real Estate, a select network of the world’s leading luxury home agents. A member of C.A.R. (California Association of Realtors), N.A.R. (National Association of Realtors) and O.C.A.R. (Orange County Association of Realtors). To talk to Cheryl about buying or selling a home in Orange County, call her at 949.683.1501 or visit her online at www.CherylSellsOC.com.