Originally known as the Crystal Cathedral and completed in 1980, the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove is an architecturally distinctive house of worship made from glass, paired with a steel prayer spire, and topped with an illuminated cross – previously home to the Reformed Church televangelist Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power broadcasts, and since 2019 consecrated as a Catholic church, the seat of the Diocese of Orange. Although the church’s 10,000 rectangular glass panes and walls are reflective on the outside, their transparency created heat and glare issues inside, as well as acoustic challenges, all addressed by updates during the transition of ownership. Additional campus attractions include a metal-clad cultural center, fountains, bells, a sculpture of Jesus walking on water, and Our Lady of Da Vang, a 12-foot-tall Virgin Mary statue inside a metal spiral canopy. Inside, the church has capacity for over 2,200 people, and notably hosts performances on the world’s fifth largest pipe organ.
Located across the street from The Outlets of Orange, the Christ Cathedral doesn’t charge for parking, and is only challenging to visit due to limited touring days and times: Free (donation appreciated) church tours are offered at either 1pm or 2pm, Mondays through Thursdays, with campus tours at 10am or 1pm on Fridays; neither type of tour is offered on major holidays or holy days of obligation.
