GARDEN GROVE — Southern California’s landmark Crystal Cathedral has been given a new name as the evangelical church transforms into a Catholic church.
The iconic, glass-paned megachurch founded by “Hour of Power” televangelist Robert Schuller was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange last year. On Saturday, Bishop Tod Brown renamed it Christ Cathedral during a priest ordination and named Christopher H. Smith to the top post of the new church.
The Garden Grove cathedral’s name was chosen from more than 4,100 submissions from Catholics all over the world.
Mr. Schuller retired in 2006 after his ministry, which began at a drive-in movie theater, evolved into a global televangelist empire. But after a botched leadership transition to his son, donations began to plummet. In 2010, the Crystal Cathedral sought bankruptcy protection.
The diocese bought the 2,900-seat cathedral and its grounds for $57.7 million. It will have to renovate the cathedral for Catholic worship before services can begin.
Meanwhile, the Crystal Cathedral congregation, which will be moving about a mile away to St. Callistus Catholic Church in June 2013, will have to renovate that church for the “Hour of Power” to be taped there.
NEW YORK
Kidney saga takes another grim turn
NEW YORK — Two weeks ago, Roberto Medina’s sister died while undergoing surgery to give him one of her kidneys. Now, the ailing New York City man is leaving the hospital feeling traumatized - again.
Mr. Medina told reporters that he was summoned to Montefiore Medical Center on Wednesday and told that a kidney had been found to replace the one lost in the botched surgery on his sister, Yolanda.
People normally wait years for a transplant, but Mr. Medina said doctors told him he was rushed to the top of a waiting list out of sympathy.
On Friday, he was discharged with bad news: The agency that oversees transplants doesn’t allow people to skip to the head of the line unless it is a medical emergency.
Mr. Medina said he felt “emotionally drowned.”
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