Beloved Loyola-Chicago chaplain Sister Jean dies at 106
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the legendary chaplain of Loyola-Chicago’s men’s basketball team and a national icon during the team’s remarkable 2018 Final Four run, has passed away at the age of 106, the university announced Thursday.
Loyola President Mark C. Reed paid tribute to her decades-long service, saying Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff. “While we grieve her loss, her legacy brings us great joy. Her presence was a profound blessing, and her spirit lives on in thousands of lives,” he said, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
Born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on August 21, 1919, in San Francisco, she joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1937. After teaching at several Catholic schools and coaching girls’ basketball, she joined Loyola University Chicago in 1991 and became the men’s basketball team’s chaplain in 1994.
Sister Jean became a household name during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, when the underdog Ramblers—ranked No. 11—stormed to the Final Four. At 98 years old, she became the team’s good-luck charm, offering pregame prayers, advice, and encouragement. Fans across the country fell in love with her, and slogans like “Win One for the Nun!” became tournament favorites.
Her fame extended far beyond basketball. In 2019, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker declared August 21 as “Sister Jean Day.” Loyola established a scholarship fund in her name, and the campus train station plaza was renamed in her honor in 2022. President Joe Biden personally sent her flowers and a proclamation on her 105th birthday, praising her “life well lived.”
Even in her later years, Sister Jean remained active. When Loyola returned to the NCAA tournament in 2021, she joined the team in Indianapolis, giving them a detailed pregame scouting report that helped the Ramblers defeat top-seeded Illinois.
Reflecting on her role, Sister Jean once said that sports are important because they teach life skills, and through those lessons, people learn about faith and purpose.
She is survived by her sister-in-law Jeanne Tidwell and her niece Jan Schmidt. Her life, marked by faith, humility, and an unwavering love for basketball, continues to inspire generations at Loyola and beyond.
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