(ZENIT News / Chicago, 06.25.2025).- In a quiet corner of Dolton, Illinois, a modest 1,050-square-foot house has become the focus of an unusually intense legal, civic, and symbolic contest. It’s not because of its architecture or market value, but because it once housed a Robert Francis Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in history.
Originally slated to be auctioned off this month, the sale of the property at 212 E. 141st Place has now been extended to July 17. Behind the delay is the town of Dolton’s determination to acquire the property — not for development, but for preservation. Village officials, led by attorney Burt Odelson, are negotiating directly with the current owner, Pawel Radzik, in hopes of reaching a deal that would spare the home from private sale and allow the town to convert it into a historic and spiritual site.
If negotiations fail, Dolton is prepared to invoke eminent domain. It’s a bold stance for a working-class village facing economic hardship, but Odelson says the cultural and historical stakes are too high to ignore. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve what many already consider sacred ground,” he said. “But we can’t do it alone — we’re counting on broader support.”
Indeed, donations and pledges of help have begun to arrive from across the country. Plans are underway to establish a nonprofit organization tasked with raising funds to maintain the home and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. Odelson confirmed that the Archdiocese of Chicago has been informally involved and is open to supporting preservation efforts.
Not everyone in Dolton, however, sees the plan as sound civic policy. A former city employee, Lavell Redmond, recently filed a lawsuit aiming to block the purchase. Redmond claimed the acquisition lacked a compelling public purpose and risked wasting taxpayer money. A federal judge dismissed the suit this week, ruling that Redmond had no legal standing to interfere in the transaction. Odelson dismissed the challenge as “absurd.”
The village is not alone in its preservation efforts. Just blocks away, on the Chicago side of the border, stands St. Mary of the Assumption, the now-closed church and school where Pope Leo XIV spent his early years. The building has stood vacant since 2011 but is now under private ownership. The owner, Joel Hall, has expressed openness to having the site designated as a landmark.
Preservation Chicago, a nonprofit advocacy group, is leading efforts to protect the church. Ward Miller, its executive director, has called the pope’s American roots a “catalyst for renewed interest in local heritage.” His organization recently succeeded in securing preservation status for another historic Catholic church, St. Adalbert’s, after years of campaigning.
Miller believes the growing attention to Pope Leo’s background is shifting public sentiment. “We can’t help but think that having an American pope has awakened a deeper appreciation for the spiritual and cultural value of these places,” he said.
The house in Dolton may be modest, but its meaning far exceeds its square footage. In it, the early values, memories, and formation of a future pope took root. For many in the village and beyond, preserving that legacy is more than just a local project — it’s a tribute to hope, memory, and the possibility that greatness can begin in the most ordinary places.
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