Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, chaplain for men's basketball team at Loyola Chicago dies, why did she go viral?

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain for the men’s basketball team at Loyola University Chicago, has died at 106. Loyola President Mark C. Reed said in a statement released on the University’s website that “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 Dolores Schmidt became Sister Jean Dolores when she took on the name after joining the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1937, her name at birth on August 21, 1919 was Dolores Bertha Schmidt. Sister Jean Dolores Schmdit taught at Catholic schools in Chicago and California and taught at Mundelein College on the Lake Shore Campus in 1961.

Mundelein College became affiliated with Loyola in 1991 and three years later, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt first took on an academic advisor role with the men’s basketball team before she then became their chaplain. According to Loyola Chicago, “Though long known for her many roles on Loyola’s campus, Sister Jean became an international celebrity during the 2018 NCAA “March Madness” tournament, accompanying the Loyola Ramblers as they reached the Final Four for the first time since their historic 1963 national championship season.

“Sister Jean cheered the team on from the sidelines that season and for all the years in between, so her presence as the team’s chaplain in 2018 at the age of 98 captured the attention of the media, and she became one of the most talked-about topics of the tournament.”

In September 2025, the Instagram account for The Loyola Phoenix wrote: “Amid growing health concerns, Loyola’s Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt BVM turned 106 Aug. 21, retiring from her role on Loyola’s campus, where she served as campus minister and chaplain of the Ramblers Men’s Basketball team beginning in 1991.

“Schmidt’s absence was first noted during the 2025 Spring semester when she didn’t attend the NIT semifinals in April, The Phoenix previously reported. This year, she left another uplifting message for students.

“Let your dreams become a reality,” Schmidt wrote to students, imparting her lasting wisdom to the student body despite being unable to be present on campus.

“Schmidt’s spitfire energy and decades long love for the Ramblers was commemorated by university President Mark C. Reed in a message to students, explaining her absence.

“While Sister Jean is no longer able to be physically present on campus, she remains a beloved friend, trusted advisor, and loyal Rambler,” Reed wrote.”