www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Catholic Crystal Cathedral?

Catholic Crystal Cathedral? [hosted2.ap.org]

I think it is funny.

I want a truck full of rocks.

With that and a few sacks of cement, you could join the masons.


You realize that breaking the glass would probably just get it replaced with stained glass?

A small but modest improvement.

Wasn't one of the reason's for the original owners bankruptcy the high cost of maintenance and cooling this greenhouse?

Why is the diocese buying this money pit?

While I don't support this purchase, the Crystal Cathedral doesn't use air conditioning [crystalcathedral.org].

It looks like the Diocese of Orange has gotten the bankruptcy court's approval.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/17/judge-approves-sale-crystal-cathedral-to-diocese/

I personally think it's an incredible building.

What an ugly building. It makes the LA Cathedral look pretty by comparison.

I think it is a unique building, with a world-class pipe organ. Sounds like a good deal to me. My understanding is that it was the Schuller's mismanagement and extravagant ways that helped sink the place. Plus the fact that feel-good prosperity gospel is a hard sell in this economy.

I can't say that I'm a fan of Robert Schuller's ministry and definitely not a fan of the Crystal Cathedral itself. However, a quote by Sheila Schuller Coleman, Robert's daughter and a senior pastor of the ministry, puts one in mind of a point that has been made elsewhere on many occasions - including in our own Churches, and is worth repeating and remembering:

Italicized text mine.

It doesn't make anyone feel any better when their temple is shuttered, the one their ancestors built, and in which they and their children were spiritually raised but, in the end, it is the truth.

Many years,

Neil

Looks like Roman Catholics in California will now have two dioceses with big, glass monstrosity cathedrals, the other one being Oakland's: http://www.ctlcathedral.org/

I read a book once called "Ugly as Sin: Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to Meeting Spaces and How We Can Change Them Back Again" from Sophia Books which put forth the argument that "deformed" churches and church art (modernist designs particularly) deforms our faith. Very interesting.

This may be a California trend started long ago by the "new" St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco which many locals refer to as "St. Maytag" because it does look something like a giant washing machine agitator - http://www.stmarycathedralsf.org/

I agree. I would also point out that the purpose of the traditional dome is to symbolize the sky, while the Gothic cathedrals employed flying buttresses expressly for allowing larger windows and more light. (Also, FWIW, I recently saw pictures of a late-Gothic chapel interior on EWTN, where the walls were almost entirely glass--rather impressive.)

I believe Dr. Robert Schuller is now retired, and his absence is the principal reason for the ministry's decline. (As for the "feel-good prosperity gospel," Joel Osteen seems to be doing quite well with it. )


Peace,
Deacon Richard

Here is an interesting write-up on the acquisition of the Crystal Cathedral. It speaks to Rev. Schuller's special admiration for the Catholic Church:

http://kathyschiffer.com/crystal-cathedral-was-the-holy-spirit-the-highest-bidder