The complications of Katy Perry’s fraught bid to purchase a convent on an eight-acre estate in Los Feliz initially appeared to rest on the question of ownership. Sisters Rita Callahan and Sister Catherine Rose Holzman of the Sisters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart previously contested that they, not the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, have the right to sell the property.
Katy Perry Discouraged by Nuns From Purchasing Los Feliz Convent
Further complicating the matter is the fact that the nuns had already sold the property to nightlife doyenne Dana Hollister who had already moved into the estate. Led by the local Archbishop, Jose Gomes, the L.A. Archidocese advocated the sale of the property to Perry.
But now the fight is getting personal. According to legal documents filed on Friday and obtained by the New York Times, Sister Rita Callahan and Sister Catherine Rose Holzman claim that selling the convent to the pop star would force them to “violate [their] canonical vows to the Catholic Church.”
Katy Perry Is Battling Some Nuns to Buy a Convent
When Perry met with the nuns to bolster her bid for the convent, she tried to win them over by showing them her Jesus tattoo and performing a rendition of “Oh Happy Day.” While initially some of the nuns reported being charmed by Perry’s display of devotion, clearly at least two of the sisters weren’t impressed.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.