Just Like A Prayer

Christ Cathedral, formerly the Crystal Cathedral, Prayer Spire, Garden Grove, California

Construction of the Crystal Cathedral (now Christ Cathedral) in Garden Grove, California began in 1977 and was completed in 1980 at a cost of $18 million. The 18-story, 236-foot Crean Tower was added in 1990. It is often called the Prayer Spire but is actually a bell tower and carillon. The Arvella Schuller Carillon is 52 bells, weighing 50 pounds to 2 tons, each sounding a different note. The carillon resides near the top of the tower and the bells range from 6 inches to 6 feet in size. Founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller, Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy in October 2010; in February 2012 the building and its adjacent campus was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for use as the diocese’s new cathedral.

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