The village council of Dolton, Illinois, has voted unanimously to purchase the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV.
Catholic News Agency reports the vote came after public hearings where some residents complained the village is carrying a high debt and has yet to finance overdue infrastructure repairs. However, Dolton Mayor Jason House said the purchase was a “historical opportunity” that would eventually “pay for itself.”
The purchase price was not disclosed, and the transaction reverses the village’s earlier threat to seize the property through eminent domain. The village plans to create a nonprofit charity to fundraise for the preservation of the house. A private donor has already contributed funds for repairs to the property’s roof.
The 1,200-square-foot brick home, located near the South Side of Chicago, was thrust into the real estate spotlight when Cardinal Robert Prevost became history’s first American-born pope in May. The Prevost family owned the property from 1949 to 1996, and it last changed hands when an investor purchased it for $66,000 with the goal of renovating and flipping the property. The home was listed for $199,000 but was quickly taken off the market after Prevost’s election as pope.
Photo courtesy of Homes.com
