The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV – the first American Pope in the history of the Catholic Church – is going up for sale through a luxury auction, following a sudden wave of interest that erupted after his election to the Holy See on May 8, reports Rks News.
The property is located about 20 miles south of Chicago and includes three bedrooms. The auction will start at $250,000, and the seller has indicated they are willing to accept an offer at any time before the auction closes on June 18.
Originally, the house was a standard residential property and was listed in January for $219,000 after being fully renovated by a real estate investor who had purchased it a year earlier for just $66,000. However, even after dropping the price to $199,000, it remained on the market with no movement for several months.
Everything changed on May 8. Just hours after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, age 69, was elected Pope and took the name Leo XIV, the seller immediately pulled the home from the market after receiving eight offers within hours.
Interest in the property surged when it was revealed that the newly elected Pope had spent two decades of his childhood in this house, living with his father Louis, a teacher, his mother Mildred, a librarian, and his two brothers.
According to real estate experts, luxury auctions are becoming increasingly common for unique properties with symbolic or historical significance that don’t fit traditional sales formats.
“This is a one-of-a-kind property with symbolic and historic value. Luxury auctions are a way to determine real market value when dealing with such extraordinary stories,” said Haghani, a representative of the auction.
As the Vatican embarks on a new era under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV, the house where his spiritual journey began could become not only a rare trophy for the next buyer but also a significant piece of American Catholic history.
