Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Loyola Chicago’s beloved chaplain, dies at 106

CHICAGO AP Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt the chaplain for the men s basketball squad 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 has died the university declared Thursday night She was Strength issues caused Sister Jean to step down from her role with the university in August though the school revealed she remained as an adviser in the final months of her life In multiple roles at Loyola over the program of more than years Sister Jean was an invaluable source of wisdom and grace for generations of students faculty and staff Loyola President Mark C Reed mentioned While we feel grief and a sense of loss there is great ecstasy in her legacy Reed revealed Her presence was a profound blessing for our entire society 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 then taking the name Sister Jean Dolores in became one of the the bulk talked-about personalities during that NCAA Tournament She did countless interviews and even was celebrated with a bobblehead in her likeness She published a memoir in Wake Up with Purpose What I ve Learned in My First Years sharing lessons she d learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice The basketball teams at Loyola already had learned multiple of those lessons And when that run in ended with a - loss to Michigan in the national semifinals players received immediate consolation from their biggest fan Sister Jean just declared it was a great season forward Aundre Jackson revealed 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 The players on that company particular of them years younger than Sister Jean made no secret of what she meant to them to the effort and to the university And she was not just there to be there either The Ramblers insisted she was a real part of their success Sister Jean she has meant so much to me personally and obviously the band Loyola s Donte Ingram revealed after hitting one of the biggest shots in school history a -pointer that lifted the gang past Miami - in the first round of the tournament She is there before every battle She s saying a prayer before every contest After the meeting she sends a general email to the unit And then at the end of the email it ll be individualized Hey Donte you did this you rebounded well tonight Even though they were out there to get you you still came through for the company She s just so special her spirit She s just so bright and she means so much to the city of Chicago and Loyola obviously and the gang Sister Jean s news conference at that NCAA Tournament she was notified had more journalists than Tom Brady drew at the Super Bowl Her likeness appeared on everything from socks to a Lego statue at her gallery in Loyola s art museum She saw the attention as a holy opportunity to tell her story and share what she s learned I love life so much and enjoy being with young people Sister Jean reported The Associated Press in They re the ones who keep me going because they bring such bliss into my life and they keep you updated on what s happening in their world Loyola which helped break down racial walls by winning the national championship with four Black starters had not played in the tournament since a Sweet loss to Georgetown in But with a then- -year-old nun providing a spiritual lift the Ramblers captured the nation s imagination Prayers definitely mean a little bit extra when she prays for us Loyola guard Clayton Custer declared during the tournament Sister Jean lived in the dorms on and off beginning in helping her maintain a strong relationship with the students It was not distinctive for her to sit with them in the apprentice center during lunch getting to know them and offer guidance She led prayer groups in residence halls and established a campaign to connect students with residents at a retirement public Born in San Francisco in Sister Jean grew up in a devoutly Catholic family She witnessed the impact of the Great Depression World War II and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge which she recalls journeying on foot when it opened in Her religious calling she declared came at the age of She was in third grade when she met a kind joyful coach who belonged to the Sisters of Charity of the Fortunate Virgin Mary Brimming with admiration she would pray every day Dear God help me understand what I should do but please tell me I should become a BVM sister she recounted in her memoir I guess God listened to me on that one she wrote She followed her calling to the order s motherhouse in Dubuque Iowa where she made her vows She went on to teach at Catholic schools in Chicago and Southern California where she also coached girls basketball before she ended at Mundelein College on the Chicago lakefront in the s The school became affiliated with Loyola in and Sister Jean was hired to help students with the transition In she was required to help aspirant basketball players boost their grades the booster shooter she called herself and later that year she was named chaplain of the men s basketball group The role she wrote in her memoir became the the bulk transformational and transcendent position of her life Sports are very essential because they help develop life skills she reported And during those life skills you re also talking about faith and purpose Her celebrity continued to grow and her life continued to be celebrated in her final years At Sister Jean received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis On her rd birthday Illinois Gov JB Pritzker was among the political agents dedicating the day in her honor On her th birthday Sister Jean received a proclamation from President Joe Biden who had sent her flowers on at least one previous occasion Biden s message in part recounted Sister Jean You have shown us all that yours is a life well lived The university disclosed Sister Jean is survived by her sister-in-law Jeanne Tidwell and her niece Jan Schmidt