Loyola basketball chaplain Sister Jean turns 105
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ageless wonder Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM—the chaplain and biggest fan of the Loyola University Ramblers men's basketball team—turned 105 on Wednesday.
Sister Jean celebrated early with her Loyola family and friends. Former Ramblers Final Four coach Porter Moser even came back into town.
Sister Jean became an international star during the team's Cinderella Final Four run in 2018.
Sister Jean was born Aug. 21, 1919, in San Francisco. As a third grader, she was inspired by her teacher, a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or BVMs, and had a calling to join the order herself.
After receiving her habit at the BVM motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa, and teaching at Catholic schools in California during World War II, Sister Jean ended up at Mundelein College in 1961, Loyola said. Mundelein merged with Loyola in 1991, and Sister Jean was hired by Loyola.
In 1994, Sister Jean was 75 and ready to retire, Loyola said. But she had a new calling to help student athletes maintain their grades and thus keep up their eligibility.
She soon became chaplain of the men's basketball team—offering pregame prayers and becoming crucial to the team's success.
Sister Jean continues to work on campus at Loyola to this day, and she remains a blessing to Loyola students and so many others.