Unveiling Sister Jean: Life and Triumphs of Loyola’s Beloved ‘Basketball Nun’

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain for Loyola University Chicago’s men’s basketball team, recently celebrated her 106th birthday. She gained national fame during the Ramblers’ run to the 2018 Final Four and was back in the spotlight when the team entered the 2021 tournament.

She began her duties as a chaplain for Loyola’s men’s basketball team in 1994 and is also an American Catholic religious sister in the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the 2018 NCAA Tournament, she catapulted to fame when Loyola Chicago reached the Final Four.

Her popularity surged again in 2021 when she supported Loyola Chicago after the team’s victory over Tennessee. College basketball fans adore Sister Jean, who recently reached another major milestone when she turned 106.

Sister Jean is not only related to basketball. She had a go at baseball when she threw out the ceremonial first pitch from her wheelchair at Wrigley Field before the Chicago Cubs’ home opener in 2018. As the Loyola-Chicago basketball team chaplain, Sister Jean delighted the crowd with her underhand throw, which resulted in loud cheers. Six years later, she returned to Wrigley Field to throw out the first pitch during the Chicago Cubs’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers.