What was once an average home in Chicago’s south suburbs has now received national attention for being the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV.
The Dolton Village Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to take control of the house at 212 E. 142nd Pl.
Village leaders called the purchase a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The house is small and so is the street on which it’s located, but there has been a lot of traffic headed its way lately. That is exactly what Dolton village leaders want.
At a special village board meeting Tuesday night, most people agreed with Dolton Mayor Jason House on seizing the opportunity to buy the home before investors do so. But some residents had reservations.
“We need to be mindful of addressing the issues the city has while trying to address the debts and lawsuits,” said Dolton resident Ryan Reese. “I’m not sure this is the first priority.”
“As a practicing Catholic I see no reason why you want to buy that house,” said Dolton resident Annette Mauro. “The house inside does not look anything like when Father Prevost lived there.”
Another longtime resident, Mary Avent, said the current lack of a police chief and fire chief in Dolton is more important.
“Purchasing the pope’s house is admirable,” Avent said, “but with the state we’re in right now, I guess my concern is, do we have the money?”
Before finalizing the decision, Mayor House addressed the concerns, and ensured that the purchase would bring much-needed state and congressional funding to Dolton.
“Some are talking about the repair of our streets and current infrastructure,’ House said. “We are fully committed and will be doing both.”
The mayor agreed with some trustees who compared Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home to the homes of other popes, and how historical acknowledgement of those homes has only benefited communities.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said House. “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.”
The village attorney earlier said Dolton is planning to provide police protection at the house on a 24/7 basis, and to turn the entire block on which the house sits into a historical site.
There is already a plan to purchase other properties on 142nd Place.
On Tuesday ahead of the vote, contractors were out all day fixing the house’s 30-year-old roof and replacing it with a new one. The new roof was donated by a roofing company in the area.
Meanwhile, there continued to be a steady stream of visitors stopping by to pray.
“I really would like to see the community have more jobs so people can have more income,” said neighbor Donna Sanga David. “I think that’s part of the problem in our community is, you know, the poverty.”
It was not clear late Tuesday how much the village would be paying for the house. Before all this, it was listed for just under $200,000, and the current auction price has a reserve of $250,000.
The village estimates the sale will close within the next two weeks.
