Katy Perry’s Move To Buy Convent Disapproved By Nuns

Katy Perry has recently went under fire from five retired Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary after stating her wish to buy their convent.

The Independent UK reports that legal action is now being taken by the Los Angeles archdiocese against the five retired nuns of the order of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s decision, after they reportedly blocked Katy Perry’s move to purchase their vacant convent. Katy Perry recently expressed her desire to purchase the hilltop property of the nuns, which is put up for sale, but to Katy Perry’s dismay, the nuns who previously occupied the convent announced that the sale to Katy Perry will violate their canonical vows.

The 8-hectare hilltop estate has been vacated by the nuns since 2011, and it has since been put up for sale. Katy Perry expressed her desire to purchase the convent, but after the nuns learned of Katy Perry’s conduct and songs like “By the Grace of God” and “I Kissed a Girl,” they immediately blocked Katy Perry’s offer and instead, turned to sale of the property to Los Angeles restaurateur and hotel developer Dana Hollister. One of the nuns of the order, Sister Rita Callanan, found Katy Perry’s performances that weren’t deemed unfavorable by the nuns.

“I found her videos. I wasn’t happy with any of it.”

This may have been the ultimate reason why the sisters found it unfavorable to let Katy Perry purchase the estate. Sister Catherine Rose Holzman adds as follows.

“In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church.”

However, the legal issue that has sprouted from the nuns’ refusal to sell to Katy Perry is in the statement of the Los Angeles archdiocese, which announced that the nuns don’t have jurisdiction over the property. The convent, after it was already vacated by the retired nuns, is already under the discretion of the Pope and the Los Angeles archdiocese.

Time reports that Katy Perry offered a $10 million all-cash deal, with an additional $4.5 million to build a new retreat house for the priests using the current retreat house. Dana Hollister was reported to pay $10 million and an additional $5.5 for the retreat house’ lease. The nuns justified that they prefer Hollister’s offer to Katy Perry’s, but the Los Angeles archdiocese wanted to sell the convent, instead, to Perry. And the nun’s move to block Katy Perry’s offer and sell to Hollister instead was an unauthorized decision.

Katy Perry has expressed her desire to purchase the convent to turn it into a residential estate for herself, her mother, and her grandmother. Dana Hollister has already recently turned a prior convent into a boutique hotel, and her intention to purchase the said convent is thought to lead to another rise of a boutique hotel.

As of today, there is already a case filed by the archbishop against Dana Hollister with a hearing set for July 30. Katy Perry is hoping that the hearing turns in favor of her purchase of the convent.

[Image courtesy of Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images]