On a break from chatting with and taking photos for visitors to Robert Prevost’s childhood home Thursday, Dolton’s official co-chaplain Deborah White said she felt divine intervention in the excitement and economic opportunity brought to the village through Pope Leo XIV.

“The timing was nothing but God,” White said. 

The announcement that Prevost, raised in Dolton, would become the first American pope came as the village worked to transition from the high-profile, highly criticized administration of former Mayor Tiffany Henyard to that of Jason House. 

“He held this up until our former leader was out, to bring this to the forefront so it would have positivity surrounding it,” White said.

In the two months since the village purchased the pope’s boyhood home at 212 East 141st Place for $375,000, House says efforts to organize a steering committee to decide next steps for the house and pope-related tourism in Dolton remain ongoing.

“The next thing is for us to make sure we have it secured, not just secured but make sure the area remains a safe environment and nice and neat while we work through what the long-term direction is going to be,” House said.

He said a police officer is assigned to keep watch outside of the house daily. 

The mayor said he has chosen four of the seven members for a steering committee and expects it will be begin meetings by the end of October. 

House and other village trustees are also focused on efforts to highlight the home and support visitors. With Prevost’s 70th birthday on Sunday, the village will host a program and celebration outside of his childhood home from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., complete with a balloon release and a photo op with a Pope Leo XIV cardboard cutout. House said he hopes to make the party an annual event. 

“I know the spirit of everybody when they get out there,” House said of the house, which still regularly teems with tourists, including as part of a bus tour that starts in Chicago and ends at the house. “It just feels lively and emphatic, and that’s something that words can’t capture, but it’s definitely an experience.” 

Tour guide Tucker Privette takes a photo of Grace Hornback and her mother, Anita Lim, in front of Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home during a bus tour stop Dolton Sept. 6, 2025. (Troy Stolt/for the Daily Southtown)

House, White and many Dolton residents who greet visitors cite overwhelmingly positive effects, including boosted property values and newfound interest in their village of 21,000 people that has struggled financially. However, House said he is still looking to curb any potential negative experiences of those living on the block. 

“It’s an adjustment period,” House said. “I speak with (residents) as often as humanly possible because we’re supporting the development of that area, and part of supporting that development is being able to responsibly have more traffic.” 

House said the village is considering multiple ways to draw in more revenue as people stop by the house, including potential partnerships with nonprofits and property additions. But he said a priority for him is ensuring “anything we do be consistent and mindful of the Catholic faith.” 

“If we’re doing things the right way … as a by-product of that, the village will benefit,” House said.

Tourists take pictures of Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home during a bus tour stop in Dolton Sept. 6, 2025. (Troy Stolt/for the Daily Southtown)

The Dolton firefighter’s union has found success selling T-shirts with an image of Pope Leo XIV as part of a community fundraiser. The shirts refer to Dolton as “Home of the Pope,” and include the phrase “From the Valley to the Vatican” in reference to a nearby Dolton neighborhood.

Dolton fire Capt. Pete McCain said Thursday that since starting the fundraising project two months ago, the union has sold as many as 1,000 shirts, which are available both at the Dolton fire station and online. He said the money raised will help produce more merchandise to meet the high demand and go toward community service projects such as an annual Christmastime toy and food giveaway.

“Obviously, they wanted to pay tribute to the fact that Pope Leo came from Dolton. Everyone here is very proud of that. And at this point, it’s taken off like wildfire,” McCain said. “Giving back to the community, creating more funding mechanisms … we take pride in that.”

osanders@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/12/dolton-celebration-pope-leo-birthday/