The Crystal Cathedral will become a Catholic cathedral, now that a federal bankruptcy judge has ruled that the megachurch will be sold for $57.5 million to the Roman Catholic Church . The ruling shocked Chapman University , which had fought hard to purchase the property, even upping their bid to $59 million. The Crystal Cathedral’s founder, Rev. Robert H. Schuller , 85, said he could not live with the thought of Chapman University using the cathedral for secular purposes. Roman Catholic Church leaders vowed to continue preaching the Gospel of Christ in the Crystal Cathedral, and that was what tipped Schuller in favor of selling the church to the Catholic Diocese of Orange at the last minute. Under terms of the bid, the Schullers can pay rent for the use of the Crystal Cathedral for 36 months, but then they must vacate the property.