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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Chicago suburb where Pope Leo XIV grew up poised to buy his childhood
home
By Karina Tsui, CNN
Updated:
4:31 AM EDT, Wed July 2, 2025
Source: CNN
A village in Chicago’s south suburbs is poised to purchase Pope Leo
XIV’s childhood home after its board voted unanimously on Tuesday to
take control of the property.
Since the pope’s election, the small, two-story house on E. 142nd
Place in Dolton, Illinois – around 20 miles south of the Windy City -
has gained national attention, drawing visitors and attracting those
interested in the leader’s early life.
Leo, known before as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected in May as the
first American pope – a decision that stunned many in the United
States who celebrated his ascension as a historic moment. Chicago Mayor
Brandon Johnson called Leo’s election at the time as “one of the
biggest moments in the modern history of our city.”
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost earned his bachelor’s in mathematics
from Villanova and went on to receive his diploma in theology from the
Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He later spent decades as a
missionary, including 20 years in Peru, where he is a naturalized
citizen and served as a bishop.
Members of the Dolton Village Board on Tuesday called the purchase of
the pope’s home a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” saying that
gaining control over the house will allow the board to “do it
justice.”
“We can either seize this moment and move it forward, or we can let
that moment go to an investor,” Dolton Mayor Jason House said at .
The purchase will provide Dolton with the opportunity to re-evaluate
enterprise and historic land zones and bring “state and congressional
funds” into the town, House added.
Other trustees at the Tuesday meeting joined the mayor in expressing
support for the decision, with some citing the homes of Michael Jackson
and Martin Luther King as examples of historic sites that have brought
economic benefits for their communities.
Officials, however, acknowledged the concerns and complaints of
residents who say that traffic into the community has added further
strain to already-dilapidated roads.
“Purchasing the pope’s house is admirable,” longtime Dolton
resident Mary Avent told , “but with the state we’re in right now,
I guess my concern is, do we have the money?”
Avent told the outlet that Dolton currently lacks a police and fire
chief, which she believes is more important.
Trustee Edward Steave, at the Tuesday meeting, assured residents that
their complaints were valid, but asserted “we can do this great thing
at the same time.”
The sale is likely to close within the next two weeks, the mayor said.
Photos posted on the late Tuesday show workers conducting repairs to
the roof of the pope’s house. It is unclear whether those repairs are
being directed by the town.
CNN has reached out to the Dolton Village Board for further
information.
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