Most college basketball fans will remember Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt as a delightful courtside fixture who provided a spiritual lift when the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team made an unlikely Cinderella run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four.
But to the Rev. Thomas Rausch, a professor of theology at Southern California’s Loyola Marymount, Sister Jean was a warm-hearted and kind third-grade teacher at St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood.
“I don’t remember the exact number in the classroom, but it was huge,” Rausch said. “It was somewhere around 70, and she taught all of those kids and did a wonderful job.
“She was just a wonderful woman.”
The beloved chaplain for Loyola Chicago’s men’s basketball team died Thursday at 106.
She stepped down from her role with the university in August due to health issues. She remained an adviser to the school in the final months of her life.
“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. “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.”
Rausch remembered Sister Jean as a positive and inspiring presence in the lives of young students.
“She inspired all of us,” he said. “In fact, that’s really why I became a priest because she was so enthusiastic about religious life.”
Some of the players on Loyola Chicago’s team were 80 years younger than Sister Jean, usually seated in the stands wearing team colors and a matching scarf, during their 2018 tournament run that ended with a 69-57 loss to Michigan the national semifinals.
She was a pillar of support, win or lose.
“Sister Jean just said it was a great season,” forward Aundre Jackson said 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.”
Loyola, which helped break down racial barriers by winning the 1963 national championship with four Black starters, had not played in the March Madness tournament since a Sweet 16 loss to Georgetown in 1985.
Teammate Donte Ingram recalled Sister Jean’s pre-game prayers and post-game emails.
“Sister Jean, she has meant so much to me personally and obviously the team,” Loyola’s Donte Ingram said after hitting one of the biggest shots in school history, a 3-pointer that lifted the team past Miami 64-62 in the first round of the 2018 tournament. “She is there before every game. She’s saying a prayer before every game. After the game, she sends a general email to the team. 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 team.’ 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 team.”
Cardinal Roger Mahony, who served as archbishop of Los Angeles in California from 1985 to 2011, also was a student of Sister Jean’s.
“She knew more about these teams than I think the coach did,” Mahony said. “She said, ‘Ok guys, they’re only 50% at rebounds, and 30% at 3 point shots. That means a lot of balls coming off that backboard, get up there and get those balls.’
“Her legacy is being an incredible, inspiring former of young people. Who formed young people. Not just taught, formed them to be good people. So she inspired everyone, a real gift from God.”
Born in San Francisco in 1919, 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 crossing on foot when it opened in 1937.
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 1960s. The school became affiliated with Loyola in 1991, and Sister Jean was hired to help students with the transition.
In 1994, she was asked to help student basketball players boost their grades — “the booster shooter” she called herself, and later that year she was named chaplain of the men’s basketball team. The role, she wrote in her memoir, became “the most transformational and transcendent position” of her life.
“Sports are very important because they help develop life skills,” she said. “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 100, Sister Jean received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope Francis. On her 103rd birthday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was among the political officials dedicating the day in her honor. On her 105th 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, told Sister Jean, “You have shown us all that yours is a life well lived.”
The university said Sister Jean is survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Tidwell, and her niece, Jan Schmidt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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