Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago Hometown Reaches Deal To Buy His Childhood Home Just Days Before It Was Due To Be Sold at Auction

The board of a Chicago suburb where Pope Leo XIV grew up has voted “yes” to purchasing his childhood home—just days before the property was due to be sold off at auction to the highest bidder.

According to reports, the Dolton Village Board has reached a deal with the property’s current owner, Pawel Radzik, to purchase the home for an undisclosed amount, although its attorney, Burt Odelson, noted that the sum was “significantly lower than what [the seller] thought they would get.”

It’s understood that the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home, which was purchased by the Pope’s parents in 1949, will now be turned into an historical landmark, having already become something of an unofficial tourist hotspot in the weeks since its former resident was elected to the prominent position by his fellow cardinals.

Odelson noted to USA Today that he had already secured financing on behalf of the village—which voted unanimously to move forward with the home’s purchase during a special July 1 meeting—adding that he expected the paperwork to be completed within a week.

Prior to that meeting, the property had been listed for auction with Paramount Realty USA, with bids originally due to close on June 18, although that date was later extended until July 17 in order to give interested parties more time to do their due diligence, the company previously revealed to Realtor.com.

Bids on the home started at $250,000, although some predicted that the dwelling could sell for more than $1 million because of its impressive legacy.

Now, it seems, that auction will be called off altogether after Radzik and his real estate agent, Steve Budzik, agreed on a deal with the Village of Dolton.

Despite the final sale price being kept a closely guarded secret, Odelson insisted that the significance of the deal should not be downplayed, explaining to USA Today: “Even for me, who’s done a lot and seen a lot, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I’ve dealt with presidents, senators, mayors, but there’s always another one. Not for this—he’s the only American pope.”

The news comes as something of a surprise—particularly given the increasing upset among some locals over the decision to try and buy the home.

“Purchasing the pope’s residence is admirable, but with the state we’re in right now, do we have the money? And even if we do, there’s something called upkeep,” local resident Mary Avent said.

“In my opinion, a house is a pimp because it demands money every day.”

CBS News reported on June 16 that a motion had been filed seeking a preliminary injunction to block the Village of Dolton from using taxpayer money in order to buy Pope Leo’s childhood home.

This motion is understood to have been launched as part of an ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit filed against Dolton by a former employee, Lavell Redmond, who claimed in a 2022 filing that his employers had refused to discuss terms of a settlement because the village did not have sufficient funds.

In his June 15 motion, Redmond’s lawyers claimed that Dolton is in “severe financial distress” and made several allegations of financial mismanagement, unresolved legal obligations, and a potential misuse of taxpayer funds.

Matthew R. Custardo, the lawyer who filed the motion, stated to WGN9 that the injunction was being sought in order to stop “hypocrisy,” insisting that the injunction would in no way hinder the sale of the home, but rather prevent local lawmakers from using taxpayer funds in order to take it over.

“This isn’t about stopping history. It’s about stopping hypocrisy,” he said. “You can’t cry broke in court and then try to spend taxpayer funds on nonessential acquisitions.”

Pope Leo, who was born Robert Francis Prevost, spent several years living in the small dwelling in Dolton. His father, Louis Prevost, sold the property in 1996, according to records, after which it was sold on just two other occasions.

Property flipper Radzik, acquired the three-bedroom, three-bathroom abode in March 2024 for $66,000 and had initially planned to renovate it, then sell it off—until, that is, one of its former residents was chosen to succeed the late Pope Francis during conclave in May.

At the time, the property was on the market for just $199,900; however, it was swiftly delisted just hours after Pope Leo’s new historic role was revealed.

It was later revealed that the home was being put up for auction—with Budzik noting at the time that the decision to sell the property to the highest bidder came after his team struggled to settle on an appropriate listing price for an abode with such historical significance.

However, the home’s journey took another twist when the Village of Dolton, with support from the Chicago Archdiocese, announced plans to acquire the home—either by buying it or by using eminent domain to take over ownership.

“The Village of Dolton intends to purchase this home either through direct purchase or through their eminent domain power,” Odelson wrote in a letter sent to Paramount Realty USA, according to the New York Times.

“The Village intends to work with the Chicago Archdiocese and other agencies to allow the home to be viewed and visited by the public as a historic site.”

Odelson added that discussions with the seller were underway, adding that the Village of Dolton and the local archdiocese would prefer not to rely on eminent domain for the acquisition of the home because it would garner too much media attention.

“[It] keeps the home in the news and not the light that the village or the church want,” he said. “We don’t want it to be a controversy; we want it to be a sacred site.”