()—The first American pope’s childhood home in south suburban Chicago will be sold to the highest bidder in an online private auction next month.
The current owner of the home in Dolton, Illinois, hit the real estate jackpot when Pope Leo XIV was elected the earthly leader of the Catholic Church this month.
The house was previously on the market but taken down after news of Pope Leo’s election. Pope Leo spent some of his younger years in the home just 30 minutes south of downtown Chicago.
spoke with the listing agent on Saturday, who said they will not entertain offers of less than $250,000 for the property.
Some neighbors want the home to be a public place for people to pray and be able to honor Pope Leo.
The three-bedroom home is 10,050 square feet and was built in 1949 and underwent remodeling in the last 12 months.
In May 2023, the home sold for $66,000 and hit the open market again in January before being taken down briefly in May, and after Leo was elected.
The pontiff’s family owned the Dolton home for nearly 50 years, and now visitors stop out front to take photographs.
The area has been beset by violence and other crimes in more recent years. But locals tell they hope Leo’s childhood home will be a beacon of what one can become.
“People are saying that it should be made a landmark, or something should be put there. Something like that would be nice to see it happen,” Dolton resident Mike Wolsky told .
Fellow resident Donna Sagna said the news of it being Pope Leo’s gave her “hope and joy.”
“This is definitely an act of God, definitely. Hopefully, we will see more change in our community. It’s getting better. Every community needs change,” Sagna told .
“There is a lot of poverty. You’re going to see crime, people with drugs, [and] abandoned property. That’s what we have. Im looking forward to the future of Dolton because God is here,” she added.
