Loyola megafan and team chaplain, Sister Jean, retires

Sister Jean
Sister Jean retires FILE PHOTO: Loyola Ramblers team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt looks on before the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal against the Michigan Wolverines at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Catholic nun who was a mainstay on the sidelines of the Loyola Chicago Ramblers men’s basketball is retiring.

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt BVM, who is 106, said health concerns are forcing her to leave her role at Loyola Chicago.

She was the campus minister and chaplain of the men’s basketball team since 1991, the university’s newspaper said on Instagram.

The school’s vice president of communications said that, due to privacy, no details about the health concerns will be given, ABC News reported.

She was unable to celebrate her 106th birthday at the school because she had a summer cold and other health issues, she said.

“That makes me very sad, but you can still celebrate,” she wrote in August, encouraging students to “make new friends. Talk to your old friends. Enjoy your move-in and your preparations for class,” ABC News reported.

Despite being with the team for 34 years, she was in the spotlight when Loyola went on its quest for the Final Four in 2018 after being an 11-seed, ESPN reported.

During that run, Loyola beat the 6-seed, 3-seed, 7-seed and 9-seed in the tournament. Their run was stopped by the 3-seed Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four. ABC News called Loyola University the underdogs, while CBS Sports called it a Cinderella story for the team’s unexpected series of wins.

“While Sister Jean is no longer able to be physically present on campus, she remains a beloved friend, trusted adviser and loyal Rambler -- cheering for our teams and praying for us all daily,” Loyola Chicago president Mark Reed said in a statement, according to CBS Sports.

Sister Jean was born in San Francisco and joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was a teacher at Mundelein College in Chicago in 1961 and when it merged with Loyola University Chicago, she stayed with the school.

Sister Jean was not only a basketball fan, but she was also a published author, writing 2023’s “Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years.”

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