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Video above: Sister Jean connected Loyola Ramblers' travel to the Big Dance
CHICAGO (WGN) — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a beloved and iconic subordinate of the Loyola University Chicago assemblage who was well-known arsenic the chaplain to the Loyola University men's hoops team, died Thursday astatine the property of 106, according to the university.
Sister Jean became an planetary personage during Loyola's magical 2018 tally to the Final Four successful the NCAA Tournament. It was the Ramblers' archetypal clip successful the Final Four since their historical 1963 nationalist title season.
“In galore roles astatine Loyola implicit the people of much than 60 years, Sister Jean was an invaluable root of contented and grace for generations of students, faculty, and staff,” Loyola President Mark C. Reed said. “While we consciousness grief and a consciousness of loss, determination is large joyousness successful her legacy. Her beingness was a profound blessing for our full assemblage and her tone abides successful thousands of lives. In her honor, we tin aspire to stock with others the emotion and compassion Sister Jean shared with us.”
Sister Jean, calved Dolores Bertha Schmidt connected Aug. 21, 1919, joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary successful 1937. She took the sanction Sister Jean Dolores.
A autochthonal of San Francisco, she taught astatine respective Catholic schools successful some Chicago and California earlier archetypal coming to the Lake Shore Campus successful 1961 to thatch astatine Mundelein College wherever she held galore roles implicit the adjacent 30 years until the schoolhouse affiliated with Loyola successful 1991.
In 1994, Sister Jean became an world advisor with the men's hoops squad and aboriginal transitioned to squad chaplain.
“Sister Jean Dolores was a pistillate of prayer, dedicated educator, and a bearer of anticipation who loved her BVM Community,” BVM President LaDonna Manternach said. “She saw God contiguous successful each that surrounded her and trusted successful His goodness. Her beingness with america volition beryllium greatly missed.”
In summation to her enactment with the hoops program, Sister Jean held play supplication groups for students and started a programme called SMILE (Students Moving Into the Lives of the Elderly), which paired Loyola students with residents of The Clare, an assisted surviving assemblage connected the Water Tower Campus that Sister Jean called location for years.
She was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame successful 2017 and was awarded the Sword of Loyola successful 2018.
Throughout her career, Sister Jean was recognized by religion and satellite leaders for her joyousness and service.
She received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis for her 100th day and astatine her 103rd day celebration, which was held connected Aug. 21, 2022, the Loyola CTA Red Line plaza was renamed successful her honor.
On that day, Sister Jean received proclamations from some Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot dedicating the time successful her honor.
She published her memoir "Wake Up with Purpose!: What I've Learned successful My First Hundred Years" successful February of 2023.
On her 105th birthday, Sister Jean received a proclamation from then-President Joe Biden successful designation of her beingness of service.
