Cardinal Robert Prevost was named the first American pope Thursday, and his humble beginnings started in Dolton, Illinois, in a modest brick 1,200-square-foot home listed for sale at $199,900.
According to public records, Prevost’s family owned the home at 212 E. 141st Place from 1949 through 1996.
At the time of sale, Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was serving in Peru, where he worked for several decades. He eventually became the bishop of Chiclayo in Peru and was appointed cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023.
His religious upbringing occurred in that Dolton home, located near the South Side of Chicago, about 22 miles outside the city. South Cook News previously reported that Prevost grew up in the home with his parents, Louis and Mildred, and two brothers. His mother was a librarian, and his father was a principal, according to media reports.
He graduated from the nearby St. Mary’s Catholic grammar school and studied to be a priest at the now-closed seminary, Tolentine College, in Olympia Fields, Illinois, from 1969 through 1973.
The agent selling the house, Steve Budzik of iCandy Realty, had no idea about his listing's connection to the pope, nor had he heard the news yet that the new pope was from the Chicago area.
“My reaction was just, ‘Wow, that’s amazing that I get the privilege to list his childhood home,” said Budzik in an interview.
An investor purchased the property for just $66,000 in 2024 and began a rehab. The home was listed in January for $219,000 and underwent a $19,000 price cut in February.
“It’s a great price for the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms and being fully updated. It’s a phenomenal price,” said Budzik.
The home has three bedrooms, but Budzik said it can have room for nearly six, and three bathrooms, according to the Homes.com listing.