Pope Leo XIV’s former St. Louis residence is on the market for $1.8M

ST. LOUIS — Robert Prevost, now known to the world as Pope Leo XIV, made an early stop in his career of becoming a priest in St. Louis during the 1970s.

Prevost, a Chicago native and the first American pope in history, spent his early years studying to become a priest in St. Louis in 1977 and 1978. The now 69-year-old lived at the Immaculate Conception Church in the city’s The Gate District neighborhood.

The church was built in 1890 by the creators of the Cathedral Basilica and was listed in February for $1.8 million.

Police spike dozens of reckless drivers in slideshows across St. Louis

The former Immaculate Conception Church, a massive 15,750-square-foot property, is stretched on 1.26 acres, including two buildings, the church and a rectory.

The church includes three rose windows, a 60-foot ceiling, and seating for over 1000 people. The property has the potential of turning into an event space, restaurant, or creative space, according to the listing.

Across from the church, a 9,324-square-foot rectory hosts seven bedrooms on the second floor and six more on the third floor, where priests, including Prevost, would previously stay while serving at the church. The rectory also includes a kitchen and living spaces.

The owner of the building, Patrick Schuchard, president of Schuchard Projects, purchased the building and has worked to restore the historic building.

Schuchard said at one point the church was one of the largest in the St. Louis region.

Before Schuchard purchased the building, the Compton Heights Concert Band purchased the building 20 years from the Archdiocese to use as a concert and practice space.

Schuchard said the property is on the National Register of Historic Places for the church itself and the additional rectory.

“We’ve been giving it a lot of tender loving care, and we’re thrilled to be able to find properties like this in St. Louis and work on them,” Schuchard told FOX 2 in March.

Note: Video above is from March 11

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.