BASKETBALL
Loyola’s beloved chaplain dies at 106
CHICAGO — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain for the men’s basketball team at Loyola Chicago who became a beloved international celebrity during the school’s fairy-tale run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2018, has died, the university announced Thursday night. She was 106.
Health issues caused Sister Jean to step down from her role with the university in August, though the school said she remained as an adviser in the final months of her life.
“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.
“While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy,” Reed said. “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.”
Sister Jean — born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on August 21, 1919, then taking the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937 — became one of the most talked-about personalities during that 2018 NCAA Tournament. She did countless interviews and even was celebrated with a bobblehead in her likeness.
She published a memoir in 2023, “Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years,” sharing lessons she’d learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice.
The basketball teams at Loyola already had learned many of those lessons. And when that run in 2018 ended with a 69-57 loss to Michigan in the national semifinals, players received immediate consolation from their biggest fan.
“Sister Jean just said it was a great season,” forward Aundre Jackson said after the loss. “She was so happy to be on this run with us and we should keep our heads high and be happy with what we accomplished.”
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