CHICAGO, IL — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a longtime team chaplain for Loyola University Chicago, has died at the age of 106, the university announced on Thursday.
Famously known as Sister Jean, she became a good luck charm for the Ramblers basketball team after reaching TV fame in 2018 when cameras showed her pre-game prayer and her cheering from the sidelines as the team went on a Cinderella run at the NCAA tournament.
“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 in a statement.
“While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. 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 was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on August 21, 1919, before taking the name Sister Jean Dolores in 1937.
She started teaching at Mundelein College in Chicago in 1961 before the school merged with Loyola in 1991.
In 1994, she started as the school’s chaplain before becoming a viral sensation during the 2018 men’s NCAA basketball tournament.
The Ramblers went on to reach the Final Four, before losing to the University of Michigan.
Sister Jean retired in August from her duties at the university due to health concerns, though she reportedly remained an adviser in the final months of her life.
While speaking to CNN’s Coy Wire in 2021, Sister Jean revealed how she helped motivate the players with her prayers.
“I plan them – every one. You should see the collection I have in my room. I never say the same prayer, any time, over the years. It’s always different for every game,” she said.
