Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, may soon belong to his hometown after the Dolton Village Board voted unanimously on July 1 to purchase the now-famous house at 212 E. 142nd Place.
The three-bedroom, one-bathroom house belonged to the Prevost family for about half a century, said a listing on an auction website.
It had been listed for sale prior to Pope Leo XIV's election to the papacy, but was quickly pulled from the market and subsequently listed for auction.
The house has a reserve price for auction at $250,000. Dolton Mayor Jason House said that the village acquiring the house is preferable to it being purchased by investors.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said House, adding, "We can either seize this moment and move it forward, or we can let that moment go to an investor. I would like our community to get the benefits of this opportunity."
House said there were plans in place to turn the entire block into a historical site honoring Pope Leo XIV, noting that similar things had happened to the childhood homes of other popes.
He also pledged that the village itself would not be neglected to purchase the house.
"Some are talking about the repair of our streets and current infrastructure," House said. "We are fully committed and will be doing both."
