Dolton officials are moving ahead with plans to buy Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home in the village, hoping to snap up the modest brick home that has gained international attention ahead of a

What was once an overlooked property has now become Dolton’s unexpected lifeline. With Pope Leo XIV’s election drawing nationwide interest to his former home, the village sees an opportunity to attract tourism and rebuild its reputation.

In a unanimous vote at a special board meeting held July 1, the village council of Dolton, Ill., voted to purchase the childhood home of the first U.S.-born pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV.