Longtime Loyola-Chicago men’s basketball chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt died on Thursday at age 106, the school announced.
Known simply as Sister Jean, she gained international fame in 2018 when she was the spiritual leader of an underdog Ramblers squad that advanced to the Final Four. She was 98 at the time, and she shined in the media spotlight.
“In many roles at Loyola over the course of more than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola president Mark C. Reed said in a statement. “While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire community, and her spirit abides in thousands of lives. In her honor, we can aspire to share with others the love and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”
Just two weeks before her death, Sister Jean announced her retirement from her official duties with the men’s basketball team, citing health issues. She had been with Loyola-Chicago since 1991, and she first became the men’s basketball team’s academic adviser in 1994. Sister Jean later moved to a role as team chaplain.
The university inducted Sister Jean into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
Dolores Bertha Schmidt, born in San Francisco in 1919, became a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) in 1937.
“Sister Jean Dolores was a woman of prayer, dedicated educator, and a bearer of hope who loved her BVM Community,” BVM president LaDonna Manternach said in a statement released by Loyola-Chicago. “She saw God present in all that surrounded her and trusted in His goodness. Her presence with us will be greatly missed.”
