On October 9, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, and beloved team chaplain who grew to be the heart and soul of Loyola-Chicago basketball, died at age 106, according to the university.
She was referred to as just and only as Sister Jean, as the entire nation followed Loyola on the memorable Cinderella run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four. Her pre-match prayers, bright smile and her sincerity towards the players made her a national icon within a short duration of time.
Sister Jean was frequently shown on camera hugging players and celebrating whenever the No. 11-seated Ramblers won a tournament match, during which the underdogs caused shock and upset to the entire world. She made herself a beacon of belief, happiness and togetherness with one of the most memorable stories in the history of college basketball.
The former player, Donte Ingram, said during that 2018 run that she has been a lot to this program and the city of Chicago. “Her aura is so bright. She’s like no other.”
Sister Jean did not simply pray on the team, she made her personal affiliations with the players, sending encouraging emails following lousy defeats and congratulatory messages following victories. Her popularity had burst after Miami lost to Loyola on a buzzer-beater in the first round. It all had mushroomed, that seemed to her. “I can’t believe it. I get up and say, is this it or is this a dream?
Sister Jean was everywhere as the Ramblers made their first Final Four in 56 years, 1963 when Loyola won a historic national championship that has broken racial barriers. She received her own bobblehead, her own pair of Nike shoes and even threw out the first pitch at a Chicago cubs game.
Sister Jean had been a light in the Loyola campus way before she was a national celebrity. She is a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and she joined the university in 1991 and soon became a guide to students and other employees. She also maintained her office in the student center and lived in a freshman dorm to have a connection all the time, willing to listen or give guidance.
Loyola President Mark C. Reed remarked that the legacy of basketball was very small when compared to the influence that Sister Jean had on generations of students, faculty, and staff: “She was an indispensable source of wisdom and grace to generations of students, faculty, and staff. Even though we experience sadness and the loss of something, her legacy is very joyful. The world had been a great blessing to have her in our community and her spirit will live with thousands of other lives.
Sister Jean was kind, hopeful, and full of faith, which is evident in the court as it is in the classroom, and she left a legacy that will be felt even further than Loyola-Chicago.
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