Sisters may buy John Paul II Center

Nuns in Michigan may soon own a prime piece of Catholic real estate in Washington.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Mich., have signed a purchase agreement for the John Paul II Cultural Center, a sprawling building near the Catholic University campus that has struggled financially and in attracting visitors since it opened in 2001.

The sisters announced their intention to buy the center late Monday night at a fundraiser for their order in Vienna, saying it would help them accommodate their relatively new and growing order.

The possible sale could also prove a boon to the Archdiocese of Detroit, which has been heavily criticized for sinking millions into the center in the District, far from its Michigan parishioners.

The center was conceived by former cardinal and current Archbishop Emeritus Adam Maida of Detroit, inspired by his loyalty to Pope John Paul II. The archdiocese committed $40 million generated by Catholics in its region to the project, which included a guarantee of the $23 million mortgage. The center, a 100,000-square-foot building on 12 acres, was to be a combination think tank, facilitator of interfaith dialogue and museum. But since its opening, the building has often sat empty.