The Dolton Village Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to purchase the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV, moving forward with a deal that village leaders called a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" despite ongoing financial concerns about the cash-strapped municipality. The board's decision clears the way for Dolton to acquire the modest two-story house at 212 E. 142nd Place, where the pontiff lived as a child in the 1960s and 70s, and transform it into a historic site attracting pilgrims from around the world.
Village officials expect to close on the purchase within a week, according to CBS Chicago, with the final price falling somewhere between the property's original $200,000 listing and the $1 million-plus the developers hoped to receive at auction1. The exact purchase amount will remain confidential until closing, village attorney Burt Odelsen said2.
Dolton plans to provide 24-hour police protection at the site and convert the entire block into a historical district1. Village leaders also intend to apply for federal and Illinois state funding to support the project, with plans to purchase additional properties on 142nd Place1.
Contractors installed a new roof on the property Tuesday, donated by Windy City Construction Group, as a steady stream of visitors continued stopping by to pray13.
The purchase faced legal challenges from a former Dolton employee who filed a motion to block the acquisition, citing potential misuse of taxpayer funds and the village's financial troubles12. A judge denied that motion in June, allowing the village to proceed2.
Some residents expressed mixed feelings about the purchase given Dolton's ongoing financial woes. "We need to be mindful of addressing the issues that the city has while we're trying to address the debts and the lawsuits," Rev. Ryan Reese told ABC7 Chicago1.
Mary Avant, another resident, questioned whether the village has adequate funds, asking: "Do we have the money? And, even if we have the money, there's called upkeep"1.
Mayor Jason House defended the decision, telling ABC7: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can either seize this moment and move forward, or we could let that moment go to an investor"1.
Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, became the first American pope when elected in May, stunning Catholics nationwide and prompting Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to call it "one of the biggest moments in the modern history of our city," according to CNN1. Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost earned his mathematics degree from Villanova before receiving his theology diploma from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago1.
The Prevost family owned the Dolton home for nearly 50 years2. Since the papal election, the property has drawn national attention and become an impromptu pilgrimage site. "People use that porch right there like an altar, you know, to come and pray," said neighbor Donna Sagna Davis, who has lived next door for eight years3.
