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The 2022 United Association Instructor Training Program culminated in a completion ceremony, where more than 200 UA members crossed the stage to receive an ITP certificate, a WCC associate degree or both.
(Photos by JD Scott)
The reflective glass building, originally designed by Philip Johnson/John Burgee Architects, seats 2,248 people.[1][2] After its completion in 1981, it was described as "the largest glass building in the world".[3] The building has one of the largest musical instruments in the world, the Hazel Wright Organ.[4][5]
From its opening in 1981 until 2013, the building was home of Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a congregation of the Reformed Church in America that was founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller. The ministry's weekly television program, Hour of Power, was broadcast from the church. After filing for bankruptcy protection, Crystal Cathedral Ministries sold the building and its adjacent campus to the Diocese of Orange in February 2012 for $57.5 million.
After a two-year renovation of the cathedral to convert it to Catholic liturgy, the building was consecrated as Christ Cathedral—the seat of the Diocese of Orange—on July 17, 2019 Robert H. Schuller and his wife Arvella Schuller founded the Garden Grove Community Church in 1955.[6] A member of the Protestant Reformed Church in America, the congregation first held services at the Orange Drive-In Theatre in Orange, California. The congregants would sit in their cars while Robert Schuller delivered his sermon from the top of the concession stand. He also rented a 300-seat former Baptist church in a different location for those who wanted inside seating.[7]
To accommodate the growth of their congregation, in 1958 the Schullers bought 10 acres in Garden Grove for a larger combination drive-in/sit-in church. Designed by architect Richard Neutra, the new church opened in 1961.[8] In 1968, the Schullers opened the 13-story Tower of Hope building on the campus for classrooms and office space. It was topped with a large illuminated cross.
The rapid growth of the congregation soon outstripped the capacity of their current church. Schuller then commissioned Philip Johnson and John Burgee to design a church with a seating capacity of 2,248 worshipers on the Garden Grove campus. The congregation began construction of the Crystal Cathedral in 1977; it was completed in 1980 at a cost of $18 million (equivalent to $69 million in 2024). It was 415 feet long by 215 feet wide, with a height of 128 feet. It was topped by a beacon for aircraft.[9] The architects designed the church to withstand a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. The 10,000 rectangular panes of glass on the building were reflective on the outside and transparent on the inside. They were attached to the framework with a silicone-based glue to mitigate earthquake damage. No crystal glass was used in its construction. The building featured 52-bell carillon. It also had an underground chapel with a revolving crystal cross.[9][10]
The opening gala for the Crystal Cathedral was held on May 14, 1980, with 3,000 guests paying $1,500 each. The gala included a recital of music by Vivaldi, Schubert, and Rossini, with the operatic singer Beverly Sills performing solos.[11]
After moving into the new sanctuary in 1981, the congregation changed its name to Crystal Ministries.[10] The $5.5 million stainless steel prayer spire was constructed in 1991. The Crystal Cathedral became the new venue for Robert Schuller's Hour of Power television broadcasts on Sunday mornings. These broadcasts regularly reached a worldwide audience of 20 million viewers.[12] In a 2011 Los Angeles Times article, Bishop Tod Brown mentioned that, over the years, foreign priests visiting the Diocese of Orange invariably asked to visit the Crystal Cathedral.[13]. By early 2010, Crystal Cathedral Ministries was in deep financial trouble due to high costs and reduced contributions resulting from the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. It was facing multiple lawsuits from unpaid creditors, with one board member estimating that they were $55 million in debt. It was also facing a contentious transition from the leadership of Robert and Avella Schueller.[1. The ministries' board filed for bankruptcy protection on October 18, 2010, citing $43 million in debt, including a $36 million mortgage. Ministries officials tried to negotiate a payment plan with their creditors. However, after receiving several lawsuits and writs of attachment, the Crystal Cathedral Ministries was forced to file for bankruptcy.[16] After the filing, the ministries received offers for the Crystal Cathedral campus from a real estate investment group and Chapman University in Orange. Chapman offered $59 million for the campus, planning to use it for health sciences studies and possibly a medical school.[17]
On July 7, 2011, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange announced that it was "potentially interested" in purchasing the Crystal Cathedral campus.[18] The diocese had purchased land in Santa Ana to build a new cathedral (having outgrown the Holy Family Cathedral in Orange), but found that it would be more cost-effective to renovate and repurpose the Crystal Cathedral campus and its buildings instead, and that Garden Grove was a more accessible location within the diocese than Santa Ana.[18] The diocese made an initial offer of $50 million for the property, then increased it to $53.6 million.[18] The diocese also offered to let Crystal Cathedral Ministries lease an "alternative worship space of at least 50,000 square feet" on the campus for up to 15 years.[19]
Sheila Colman, the new director of the ministries, accepted this offer. The ministries' board originally planned to accept the higher offer from Chapman, but expressed a desire for the property to remain a religious institution.[20] On November 17, 2011, Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert N. Kwan approved the sale of the Crystal Cathedral to the Diocese of Orange for $57.5 million (equivalent to $80 million in 2024).[20][21]
Days after the sale was approved, the Italian newspaper La Stampa published a report that Pope Benedict XVI was forming a new Vatican commission to investigate irregularly-designed churches and cathedrals that "remind people of anything but the mystery and sacredness of a church", such as designs with "glass boxes" and "crazy shapes"; the article was illustrated with a photograph of the Crystal Cathedral.[22][23] Ultimately, this did not prove to be an issue; two weeks after the sale was approved, Bishop Brown secured approval from the Vatican to transfer the diocese to the campus. The Crystal Cathedral sale was finalized on February 3, 2012. The diocese then transferred the St. Callistus parish to the old Garden Grove church on the Cathedral campus, renaming it Christ Cathedral Parish.[25][26] The campus cemetery was immediately transferred to the diocese, which quickly moved its offices into the other campus buildings.[26] Bishop Brown stated the diocese planned to renovate the cathedral's interior after Crystal Cathedral Ministries moved out, while maintaining the "iconic personality" of its architecture.[27]
On June 9, 2012, the diocese announced that the building would be renamed "Christ Cathedral",[28] with the Reverend Christopher Smith serving as its first rector and episcopal vicar.[29] The name was chosen with input from the diocese and its members, and approved by the Vatican.[30] In October 2012, before the property transfer, the diocese held its first event at the cathedral, the 7th Orange County Catholic Prayer Breakfast [31] The Christ Cathedral Parish would continue until June 2013 to celebrate Masses and other liturgies at the old Garden Grove church, now known as the Arboretum.
Crystal Cathedral Ministries held its final worship service at the Crystal Cathedral on June 30, 2013.[32] They held their next service at the former St. Callistus Church on July 7, 2013.[33] The congregation, now much reduced, moved in 2018 to another facility, which it named Shepherd's Grove, in Irvine, California.[34] The St. Callistus Catholic School moved into the former Crystal Cathedral Academy facility, changing its name to Christ Cathedral Academy, in September 2013.[35] Robert Schuller died in 2015; his funeral service was conducted outside the cathedral.[12]
Renovations
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In November 2013, the Crystal Cathedral was closed to the public in preparation for a multi-year renovation of the building.[36][1] William J. Woeger of the De La Salle Brothers was appointed as the principal liturgical consultant,[37] Los Angeles-based design firm Johnson Fain was hired as architect, and the Irvine-based Snyder Langston served as general contractor.[38][39] The diocese unveiled renderings of Christ Cathedral in September 2014; the renovations aimed to make it suitable for the Catholic liturgy (including the construction of a sanctuary, ciborium, and altar) while preserving the structure's architectural qualities.[36]
The cathedral's glass walls had created long-standing issues with heat, glare, and acoustics;[40] the Diocese of Orange's vice president of philanthropy Tony Jennison noted that "you could see people fanning themselves and even wearing sunglasses on Hour of Power". To alleviate these issues, the glass walls were lined with angled quatrefoils—referred to as "petals"—to deflect heat and create shade. Lights would also be installed on the petals to illuminate the building and its exterior at night, creating an effect described as a "box of stars" that can be seen from afar.[41] Along with the change in liturgy, the cathedral underwent seismic retrofitting, its 20 foot (6.1 m) glass doors were replaced with bronze doors, and air conditioning was installed in the Arboretum.[42][41] The Hazel Wright Organ was disassembled and shipped back to Italy for an extensive, $2 million restoration.[43][36][44]
On the campus, crape myrtle trees were planted along the path from the parking lot to the cathedral plazas; they were described as symbolizing the "beginning" of holiness as parishioners walk towards the altar, and by principal architect Frank Clementi as being akin to a "sacred heat map".[40][44] To honor Schuller's legacy, the biblical sculptures he had commissioned for the property were retained, and plans were announced for a legacy garden that would display some of the sculptures, and include a wall inscribed with the names of Crystal Cathedral donors who were originally inscribed on stones along its "Walk of Faith" (which were removed as part of landscaping work).[45]
Construction began in June 2017, with the diocese expecting the renovations to be completed by late-2018.[46][47] To fund the renovations, the diocese first allocated $59 million in proceeds from its 2011 "For Christ Forever" fundraising campaign. In 2014, an anonymous benefactor contributed $20 million in additional funding.[46] It was later determined that the diocese reached its cost estimates for the project without "serious study or professional recommendations"; in 2016, the diocese revised the estimated cost of the project to $108 million. To achieve cost savings, the diocese opted to use a locally-sourced marble veneer instead of solid marble from Italy, and worked to keep more of the building's "bones" intact. This lowered the project's overall cost to $72 million.[48]
Rededication and reopening
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On June 29, 2018, Bishop of Orange Kevin Vann proclaimed a "holy year of preparation" ahead of the solemn dedication of the cathedral.[49] On October 13, 2018, the quatrefoils were blessed and officially illuminated for the first time.[41] The altar was installed in December 2018; the first-class relics placed in its reliquary are meant to reflect the ethnic diversity of Orange County's Catholic community, including relics connected to Vietnamese saint and martyr Andrew Dũng-Lạc, the eight Canadian Martyrs, the Spanish missionary Junípero Serra, Korean saint Andrew Kim Taegon, and Mexican bishop Rafael Guízar y Valencia.[42][50]
A formal celebration event and concert by the Pacific Symphony was held at the cathedral on July 13, 2019.[51] On July 17, 2019, the diocese held a Mass to formally rededicate the building as Christ Cathedral.[52][53] The diocese opened the shrine of Our Lady of La Vang on the cathedral campus in 2021. The shrine includes a 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) statue of the Virgin Mary capped by a spiraling canopy.[54] The St. Callistus Chapel and Crypts—situated in the building's basement—was completed in October 2024 and dedicated by Bishop Vann on October 14, 2024; this event marked the formal completion of the Christ Cathedral renovation project. Christ Cathedral is home to the Hazel Wright Organ, the fifth largest pipe organ in the world,[5] It was constructed by the firm Fratelli Ruffatti in Padua, Italy, based on specifications provided by the organists Virgil Fox and Frederick Swann. Swann served as the organist at the Crystal Cathedral from 1982 to 1998. The Hazel Wright Organ has 273 ranks and five manuals. It incorporates the large Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ built in 1962 for New York's Philharmonic Hall along with the smaller Ruffatti organ that was installed in the original Garden Grove church.[5]
In 2013, the diocese dismantled the Hazel Wright Organ and shipped it back to Fratelli Ruffatti for a $2 million refurbishing. As part of the remodeled interior, the organ was also repainted white so that it would not draw attention away from the altar.[57][36][34] It was reinstalled in Christ Cathedral in early 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the re-voicing of the organ until late 2021. The organ restoration was completed on February 7, 2022. A re-dedication concert featuring organist Hector Olivera was held on September 30, 2022.[58]
Guest-of-Honour Dr Intan takes a group photo with a family from Block 988C during the Key Handover Ceremony.
Mr Patrick Tay, Assoc Prof Faishal and MD (HDB BRI) Er Lau Joo Ming presenting the gardening starter kit to the new 'Community in Bloom -in the Heartlands' members.
Introducing Fresh Start. A social enterprise helping young people to get qualified in the catering industry, will provide meals at Campbell Place.
Date of completion - 1894
Architect - Henry E. M. Guidon
Architectural Firm: Giles and Guidon
Contractor: Martin, Byrne & Johnston
Style - Second Empire
Material - Muldoon blue sandstone, with Pecos red sandstone trim
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca and other college officials attended the completion ceremony for the Summer Learning Experience at Parkridge Community Center on Friday, Aug. 12.
Forty-five youth completed the program, which focused on both academic instruction and many fun events!
Photos by JD Scott
The 2022 United Association Instructor Training Program culminated in a completion ceremony, where more than 200 UA members crossed the stage to receive an ITP certificate, a WCC associate degree or both.
(Photos by JD Scott)
Bill T. Russell HPS List Completion on Mount Lukens, November 1976. L to R: Dick Akawie (foreground), Phil Bruce, unidentified woman, R.S. “Sam” Fink, unidentified woman, Bill T. Russell (holding white sign-in sheet), Jack Russell (no relation).
Photographer: Dick Worsfold
Donor: Jetje Worsfold
Original: 35 mm slide in holdings of Angeles Chapter
Credit: Photo by Dick Worsfold, Dick Worsfold Collection, Sierra Club-Angeles Chapter Archives
Image ID (file name): Worsfold 272
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Completion Ceremony of the Biomedical Technician Training Program & Biomedical Research Training Apprenticeship
Built in 1970-1974, this Modern International-style skyscraper was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Fazlur Rahman Khan for Sears, Roebuck and Company, replacing their earlier headquarters in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood where the company had been since 1905. The Sears, Roebuck and Company headquarters remained in the building until 1994, when they moved to a new suburban office park in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Sears Tower stands 108 stories and 1,451 feet (442 meters) tall, becoming the tallest building in Chicago in 1972, surpassing the Aon Center, which had held the title for only a month, and surpassing the height of the Empire State Building in New York City in early 1973. The building surpassed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City when it topped out on May 3, 1973, and was the world’s tallest building from 1973 until 1998, when the spires of the Petronas Towers were completed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building, however, did not hold the title of the world’s tallest structure, being surpassed by several communication towers, and did not hold the designation as the tallest structure in North America, as the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada stood 350 feet taller, but as the CN Tower does not have habitable floors for much of its height, it is not defined as a building. The building also did not hold the designation of having the world’s tallest pinnacle height until 2000, with the 1,500-foot antennas atop the older John Hancock Building to the northeast being taller than the building upon its completion, and the 1,727-foot high antenna atop One World Trade Center holding the designation for decades. The land for the building was acquired by Sears in 1970, and involved the closure of one block of Quincy Street, as well as the acquisition and demolition of two blocks full of buildings. The construction process was fraught with difficulties as bad weather and labor strikes delayed the project, with five workers dying during construction. The building also faced controversy over the tower blocking television signals being broadcast from other towers in the Chicago Loop, which was the subject of lawsuits during construction that ultimately led to the building receiving broadcast antennas atop the roof, resulting in its eventual distinctive silhouette and height of 1,729 feet from the ground to the top of the western antenna after it was extended in 2000. The building was also the first structure in the Chicago Loop to feature blinking FAA beacons to warn air traffic atop the roof, due to its height. The building was not fully leased for over a decade due to its immense size and a massive wave of office construction around the time it was built, leading to a 50% vacancy rate during the 1970s and much of the 1980s.
The building was designed as a clustered series of nine 75-foot square tubes of varying heights within the structural grid of the building’s 225-foot square footprint, with the full site being occupied by the building on the lower floors, gradually tapering as various tubes terminate on the upper floors, eventually leaving only two tubes at the top that rise from the base of the site. Two tubes, at the southeast and northwest corners, rise 50 floors, with the tubes at the southwest and northeast corners rising 66 floors, the tubes in the middle of the south, north, and east sides of the building rising 90 floors, and the central tube and the tube in the middle of the west side of the building rising the full 108 floors of the building’s overall height. This system of construction and method of design was highly economical, and has been repeated by subsequent supertall skyscrapers, including the Burj Khalifa. The exterior of the building is clad in anodized aluminum, which has been painted black, with columns evenly spaced 15 feet apart on the exterior, with bronze-tinted ribbon windows, and bands of louvers at the mechanical floors. The building was renovated in 1984, with a shopping center being added to the first four floors of the building, and a visitor center was added for the building’s skydeck observation deck. The building has two lobbies, one on the north side of the building, utilized by office tenants, and one on the south side of the building, utilized for visitors, with the entrances being located on the first floor and ground floor of the building, respectively, due to the grade change and sloping of the site from north to south. The lobbies contain artworks by Jacob Hashimoto and Olafur Eliasson, a sculpture honoring Fazlur Rahman Khan, and from 1974 until 2017, the building’s lobby housed a notable sculpture by Alexander Calder, which was removed during the building’s renovations. The 103rd floor of the building houses the skydeck observation deck, which features several boxes made entirely of glass that extend outside of the building’s exterior walls and allow visitors a 180-degree viewing experience of the city outside, outwards, above, and below their feet, with the glass floors of the boxes allowing visitors to see the streets below.
The building today is the third-tallest in the western hemisphere, being surpassed by the new One World Trade Center in 2014 and Central Park Tower in 2020, both in New York City, and the twenty-third tallest building in the world, with the list now being dominated by towers in Asia. However, despite its reduced status on the world stage, the building remains the tallest in Chicago. In 2009, the building’s naming rights were sold to Willis Group, which renamed the building the Willis Tower, with Sears having sold the tower in 1994 and the naming rights in 2003. The tower’s original namesake, a far cry from the robust and successful company it was a half-century ago, is now bankrupt and on the verge of going defunct. In 2017-2022, the building underwent a substantial renovation that involved the addition of a three-story podium, which wraps the base of the tower, and replacing building's original plaza and entrances. The new podium contains a food hall, two lobbies, and an atrium with a glass roof, with the exterior matching the appearance of the original building, with the exception of a dynamic sculptural facade on the exterior of the previously existing mechanical ventilation shaft along Jackson Boulevard. The building houses multiple office tenants with retail space in the base, and attracts many visitors annually who mostly visit to ascend to the skydeck and view the city from the building’s impressive height.