Belleville Diocese plans to sell bishop’s mansion. How will the proceeds be used?

The Catholic Diocese of Belleville announced Tuesday it will sell the historic mansion that housed its bishops for more than 70 years and use the proceeds primarily for a maternity fund for expectant mothers.

Bishop Michael McGovern is planning to move from the bishop’s residence at 925 Centreville Ave. to the rectory of the Cathedral of St. Peter on Harrison Street in downtown Belleville this summer.

The bishop’s residence is a 2 ½ story, brick home that was built around 1860 and has 13 rooms. It is located on 1.63 acres near the intersection with Illinois 15.

A listing price has not yet been set, according to Monsignor John Myler, the Rector of the Cathedral, and Claire Leopold of Nester Realty, who is handling the sale. Leopold said the asking price will be based on whether the diocese wants to include one-third of an acre it owns near the bishop’s residence.

“It’s got a lot of character,” Leopold said of the home. “It’s very beautiful.”

Leopold expects the online listing for the home to be posted in mid-August.

The home’s features include a dining room, a living room, a library, a large kitchen and high ceilings.

Home sale proceeds

Myler noted the decision to give proceeds of the home sale to a maternity fund comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to overturn the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973.

While the proceeds will primarily be used for a maternity fund, money also will be used in “support of Catholic education, youth ministry and evangelization,” according to Myler and the diocese’s news release.

The exact breakdown on the spending is not yet available.

“I have prayed and reflected on this decision for many months,” McGovern said in the news release. “I enjoy Belleville and think it is important for the Bishop of the Diocese to continue living near the Cathedral. I hope to live more simply and, as a pastor, I believe the proceeds from the sale of the home can be better used in helping pregnant mothers in need, assisting families seeking a Catholic education and providing programs for our youth.”

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, McGovern released a statement saying the decision “gives fresh hope to Americans who wish to work to create a compassionate culture where every human being is welcomed in life, cherished in the community, and protected by law.

“Because abortion law in Illinois continues to be among the most extreme in the nation, all Illinoisans must strive to assist women who are pregnant to welcome their children, even in the most difficult circumstances,” he wrote.

McGovern was appointed bishop by Pope Francis in April 2020.

Historic residence

James Lowery Donaldson Morrison, the organizer of the Belleville & Illinoistown Railroad who also served in U.S. Congress and the Illinois State House and the State Senate, was the home’s builder, according to the diocese.

Morrison had the home completed sometime after his first wife died in 1855 and before he remarried in April 1861.

The diocese bought the property in 1948 and Bishop Albert Zuroweste was the first bishop to reside there.

Myler said that each bishop since then has made improvements to the property but he did not have the value of those renovations. These included a renovated kitchen when now-Cardinal Wilton Gregory lived there and new carpeting was installed and repainting was done when Bishop-emeritus Edward Braxton lived there. McGovern replaced Braxton as the diocese’s bishop.

Shortly after Braxton was appointed bishop in 2005, he was criticized by some members of the diocese for renovating the bishop’s residence.

Leopold said the home has been “maintained quite well” and “sits on a very pretty setting.”