Introduction to Sister Jean
Sister Jean Dolores Bertha Schmidt, the beloved Catholic nun who, at age 98, skyrocketed to fame with a maroon and gold scarf fluttering from her neck as chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team during its Cinderella run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four — has died. She was 106.
Legacy of Sister Jean
“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,” said Mark C. Reed, Loyola president, in a statement late Thursday. “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.”
Personal Life and Family
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Tidwell, and her niece, Jan Schmidt. Visitation and funeral arrangements will be announced soon by Loyola University.
The Basketball Hysteria
Amid the basketball hysteria, the nation marveled at Sister Jean, Loyola’s secret weapon: the tiny nun who was equally adept at leading team prayers and offering scouting reports. Images of towering basketball players bending low to give Sister Jean a postgame hug became part of the nightly news. Asked by a reporter what she had given up for Lent, Sister Jean replied: losing. Hoopers ranging from NBA All-Star Charles Barkley to former President Barack Obama paid homage.
Rise to Fame
The NCAA arranged for Sister Jean to have her own press conference ahead of Loyola’s Final Four game in San Antonio. Reporters gave her a round of applause when it concluded. A Sister Jean bobblehead became a bestseller. The world was learning what folks at Loyola had known for years: Sister Jean is awesome.
Early Life and Career
Sister Jean was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919 — just months after the end of World War I. Joseph and Bertha Schmidt raised her and two younger sons in a devout Catholic home in San Francisco’s Castro District. It was a diverse neighborhood and her parents preached acceptance of different cultures. The siblings played touch football with the kids on the block. Her father worked as a janitor at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium and later worked as a deputy sheriff.
Education and Teaching Career
She helped her dad brew beer during Prohibition by throwing in the hops. She saved her birthday, Christmas and First Communion money to spend on a trip to Chicago for the 1933 World’s Fair. Her family swam off a boat that had a permanent berth in a tributary of the San Francisco Bay. It had sleeping quarters and served as a family getaway. They watched the Golden Gate Bridge go up and walked across it with thousands of other revelers when it finally opened in 1937.
Joining the Sisters of Charity
She idolized her third-grade teacher, a beautiful young nun from the religious order of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and aspired to follow her path. After graduating from high school, she entered the religious order at age 18 and began living and training at the group’s headquarters, known as the Mother House, in Dubuque, Iowa. She made her vows in 1940 and received her new name, Jean, along with her first assignment: Go to Chicago to teach fifth grade at the parish school next to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Lincoln Park.
Career at Loyola University
She was in Chicago for only a year before she was reassigned to a Catholic school in Los Angeles. She spent the next 20 years at several schools in the area, teaching and working as a principal. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, and with fear of Japanese bombing raids ever present, her students wore dog tags with their names and addresses on them. After the war, she worked at a school in Hollywood where comedian Bob Hope sent his kids.
Becoming Loyola’s Team Chaplain
Her association with Loyola’s men’s basketball team began in 1994, when, at 75, she was ready to retire, but was asked to help athletes keep up their grades to maintain eligibility. Her role evolved into a position as official team chaplain. It became the highlight of her career. In her memoir she recalled blessing the hands of a player who was in a shooting slump — and he started scoring again. Then other players asked for the same blessing. She blessed the refs, too.
Later Life and Legacy
She enjoyed her fame. She’s thrown out a first pitch at a Cubs game. Former President Joe Biden sent her flowers on her birthday. The plaza outside the Loyola CTA Red Line stop was named in her honor. But she never let it go to her head. “Why me? I think it starts with the fact that I’m so old. Let’s face it, people love little old ladies. We’re harmless. We’re cheerful. And we’ve been through a few things. People innately want to be happy and safe and stay alive,” she wrote in her memoir.
Conclusion
Sister Jean’s legacy will live on through the countless lives she touched and the memories she created. Her story is a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and dedication. She will be deeply missed, but her spirit will continue to inspire and uplift others.
FAQs
- What was Sister Jean’s role at Loyola University?
Sister Jean was the team chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team. - How old was Sister Jean when she passed away?
Sister Jean was 106 years old when she passed away. - What was Sister Jean’s famous response to a reporter’s question about what she had given up for Lent?
Sister Jean replied: losing. - What was the name of the order that Sister Jean joined?
Sister Jean joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - What was the name of the school where Sister Jean taught fifth grade in Chicago?
Sister Jean taught fifth grade at the parish school next to St. Vincent de Paul Church in Lincoln Park.
