Ex-Dolton Employee Files Motion to Prevent Village From Acquiring Pope Leo XIV’s Former Home
Matt Masterson | June 16, 2025, 2:05 pm | LINK TO ARTICLE
A former Dolton employee is seeking to halt the village’s purchase of the pope’s former home, claiming such a move would be “financially irresponsible” as the village is in “severe financial distress.”
Lavell Redmond filed a motion in federal court Sunday that asks a judge to grant a temporary injunction to prevent Dolton officials from buying or attempting to buy the childhood home of Robert Prevost — now known as Pope Leo XIV.
Redmond, an ex-village employee, is already suing the village, alleging he was wrongfully terminated in 2022. He claimed the village has refused to enter into meaningful settlement discussions as it cites a lack of funds.
“This isn’t about stopping history. It’s about stopping hypocrisy,” Redmond’s attorney Matthew Custardo said in a statement. “You can’t cry broke in court and then try to spend taxpayer funds on nonessential acquisitions.”
According to the motion, Dolton officials have expressed an interest in acquiring the home, either through purchase or by eminent domain.
But Redmond’s filing cites the findings of an investigation carried out by former Chicago Mayor and federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot, who detailed the village’s “gross financial mismanagement” under former Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
“The Village is in severe financial distress, running large deficits while drowning in liabilities,” the motion states. “Its cash-on-hand is virtually non-existent.”
A spokesperson for the village declined to comment on Redmond’s motion, saying they do not comment on pending litigation. But they did state that there has been no settlement agreement reached between the village and Redmond, thus they state it would be “inaccurate to suggest the Village has refused or lacks the funds to pay a settlement that does not exist.”
“Should an agreement be finalized,” the spokesperson said, “the Village will ensure the necessary resources are allocated to fulfill it.”
The home was first built in 1949 and is being rehabbed before its upcoming auction by Paramount Realty USA, which has set an opening bid price at $250,000. According to the auction site, the home belonged to the Prevost family for nearly 50 years “and served as the foundation of a life that would lead to the Vatican.”
The election of the south suburban native to the papacy drew surprise and joy from many Chicago-area Catholics. His family recounted stories of Prevost’s desire to become a priest from an early age and the family’s connection to the church while living in Dolton.