(CNS) Posted Wednesday July 6, 2011 – 4:47pm
Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange directed his attorneys and advisers to consider acquiring the Crystal Cathedral property in Garden Grove, a spokesman said today.
"This is consistent with Bishop Brown's goal of getting an adequate cathedral for the diocese," spokesman Stephen Bohannon said.
The Roman Catholic diocese has 1.2 million members, and its main church, Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, seats just 800, Bohannon said.
"There's a need for a bigger central church," Bohannon said.
The diocese still plans to build a new cathedral.
"While we continue to develop plans for a cathedral in Santa Ana, it is prudent to evaluate the opportunity to engage in the pending auction of this property and to mitigate the chance that it cease to function as a place of worship if acquired by others," Brown stated.
"If the Diocese of Orange can prevent the loss of this important Christian Ministry and what the Crystal Cathedral has represented to so many for so long -- and meet its own priorities
for a new cathedral, we have a duty to at least review the options."
On Tuesday, attorneys for Chapman University in Orange filed papers in U.S. District Bankruptcy Court with a proposal to acquire the mega-church's property in Garden Grove.
Chapman's $46 million bid is competing with one from Greenlaw Acquisitions, an Orange County real estate developer that intends to build homes on the property.
Chapman would purchase the Family Life Center and the Welcome Center, with the Crystal Cathedral ministry allowed to continue using the other half of the property, including the high-rise office building and the landmark church, said Chapman University President James Doti.
Chapman would pay off the debtors on closing, enabling the Crystal Cathedral four years to buy back half of the campus in a lease deal, Doti said.
Crystal Cathedral officials responsible for reviewing proposals for the property have not had a chance to consider Chapman's bid, said attorney Marc Winthrop, who represents the mega-church in the bankruptcy case.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Santa Ana will discuss with attorneys a schedule for taking bids and approving one, Winthrop said.
"There may be others, the phone is ringing," Winthrop said of other offers beyond Chapman's and Greenlaw's bids.
The Chapman proposal will be presented at a July 26th hearing, Winthrop said.
Work to settle about $12.5 million in Crystal Cathedral's debt began in April of 2010, but when those efforts failed bankruptcy was declared Oct. 18 of last year.
The 10,000-member church was founded by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller in 1955. But it fell on hard times in 2008 when the economy collapsed.
Schuller recently was named chairman emeritus of the church's board, meaning he can participate in discussions on solving the financial issues, but he no longer has a vote, Winthrop said.
Crystal Cathedral is on 40 acres at 12141 Lewis St. in Garden Grove.
The church opened in 1980.
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