Imagine owning a piece of history—a modest brick house in Dolton, Illinois, where the first American pope, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, grew up. This 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home on East 141st Place, once listed for just $199,900, is now up for grabs in a luxury auction starting at $250,000, with bidding set to close on June 18, 2025. The frenzy began when Prevost was elected pope on May 8, turning this quiet suburban property into a global sensation overnight.
The house, built in 1949, was home to Prevost and his family—parents Louis, a school superintendent, and Mildred, a librarian, plus brothers Louis and John. They bought it new for a $42 monthly mortgage, living there from Robert’s birth in 1955 until 1996, when he was a missionary in Peru. “We had a normal childhood,” John Prevost told *NBC Chicago也就是，The Israel Mirror called it a “papal price bump,” with offers flooding in the day Prevost was named the 267th pontiff.
Current owner Pawel Radzik, a property flipper, bought the fixer-upper for $66,000 in May 2024, sinking over $80,000 into renovations—new kitchen, jacuzzi tub, central air, and a finished basement. Listed in January 2025 for $219,000, it sat for over 100 days with little interest. Then, on May 8, realtor Steve Budzik got a call from a reporter: “Hey, the pope used to live in your house.” Radzik, at a doctor’s appointment with his pregnant wife, thought it was a prank. “It’s better than winning the lotto,” he told The New York Post. By day’s end, seven offers rolled in, and the listing was yanked.
Now, Paramount Realty USA, the firm that auctioned Donald Trump’s childhood home for $2.14 million in 2017, is handling the sale. The listing pitches it as a “piece of papal history,” tempting buyers with its “inspiring legacy.” Bidding opened at $250,000, but experts predict it could fetch over $400,000, maybe millions, given its unique provenance. “It’s a one-in-a-billion chance,” Budzik told The Daily Mail.
Locals are buzzing. Neighbor Donna Sagna, who’s lived next door for eight years, called the rehabbed interior “beautiful” and hopes it becomes a historic landmark. Dolton’s new mayor, Jason House, is even floating renaming the street after Leo XIV. “It’s a deep honor,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. Some envision a museum or viewing home, with Budzik keen to restore its 1950s look, pending talks with John Prevost, who lives nearby in New Lenox.
Social media posts capture the excitement: @KSEE24 called it a “piece of Papal history,” while @PopCrave quoted Budzik’s “lottery ticket” line. But not everyone’s sold—@BackwardsFeet chuckled at the flipper’s luck, noting the house was listed just days before the election.
Dolton, a working-class suburb, is seeing a tourism spike, with visitors flocking to the site (some to the wrong house). The shuttered St. Mary of the Assumption church, where young Robert attended Mass, adds to the area’s new glow. Whether it’s snapped up by a devout homeowner, an investor, or turned into a shrine, this humble home’s value has soared, proving faith—and a papal connection—can move markets.
