Nun in Bitter Legal Battle With Katy Perry Faints, Dies in Court

One of the nuns ensnared in a protracted legal battle with Katy Perry collapsed during a California court hearing last week and has died.

Sister Catherine Rose was part of a group of nuns fighting to keep the pop star from taking ownership of a property where their convent once stood in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

On Friday, Rose collapsed during a court hearing, CBS News reported.

"Rest with the angels our most precious treasure," read a tribute to Rose on the website for the nuns' cause, StandWithTheSisters.org. "Don’t let our precious Sister Catherine Rose have died (sic) in vain! Stand with us. Spread the word. Join your voice with the chorus of us calling for an end to the oppression and victimization of Nuns and Women Religious all over the world!"

The dispute dates back several years when the nuns wanted to sell the convent, which they bought in the 1970s, to a restaurateur named Dana Hollister. 

In 2016, it was ruled in court that the nuns' sale was invalid, at which point Perry was able to purchase the property from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

According to reports from 2015, Perry, a former Christian singer, even tried to woo the sisters with a gospel song as she toured the property.

The nuns say Perry gave a rendition of "Oh Happy Day," but they reportedly weren't impressed and continue to question whether the singer is an appropriate fit for the former place of worship.

It's unclear whether Perry intends to live on the property. 

RELATED STORIES