ORANGE, Calif. (AP) — The Diocese of Orange has closed on its purchase of the shimmering Crystal Cathedral and the church's nearly 31-acre property.
The diocese said Friday that escrow proceedings had closed on its acquisition.
The Catholic Church agreed to pay $57.5 million for the sprawling campus in Garden Grove and plans to make it the site of a long-sought cathedral for Orange County.
The Crystal Cathedral sold the property to help pay creditors and emerge from federal bankruptcy protection.
The sale sparked a bidding war between the diocese and Orange County's Chapman University.
Founder Rev. Robert H. Schuller said he preferred the church remain as a place of worship.
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