Sister Jean, famous for her pregame prayers and inspirational messages, was born during the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic and received two vaccinations amid the COVID pandemic
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt has died. She was 106.
The beloved chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago men's basketball team, who often also served as scout and unofficial assistant coach, died in Illinois on Thursday, Oct. 9, the university announced.
“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 in a statement. “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 was a woman of prayer, dedicated educator, and a bearer of hope who loved her BVM Community,” BVM President LaDonna Manternach added. “She saw God present in all that surrounded her and trusted in His goodness. Her presence with us will be greatly missed.”
During the 2021 NCAA men's tournament, Sister Jean received two COVID vaccinations to watch the Ramblers in Indianapolis in person. Before that, she was in a Chicago rehab facility recovering from a hip injury and shingles, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Amid the second pandemic in her lifetime, Sister Jean, who usually spoke to players before every game and sent emails to the team after every game, delivered her pregame prayers and inspirational messages virtually. During the team's 2021 March Madness run, her pregame prayer to the eighth-seeded team went viral before they upset No. 1 seed Illinois 71-58 during the second round of the tournament. (Loyola lost to Oregon State in the Sweet 16 round.)
Sister Jean became a national star in 2018 when then-underdogs Loyola pulled off upset after upset to reach the Final Four.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, during the Spanish flu pandemic, Sister Jean was the oldest of three children in San Francisco, California. When she was a third-grader, she was inspired by her teacher, who was a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), and wanted to live her life as a sister of the church.
She was given the name Sister Jean Dolores at the BVM motherhouse in Dubuque, Iowa, before she began her work at Catholic schools in her home state during World War II. In 1961, she was hired to work at Mundelein College and worked to help former Mundelein students who transferred to Loyola.
In 1994, at age 75, Sister Jean began helping student-athletes ensure their grades for play and officially became the team chaplain for the university's men's basketball team, with her pre-game prayers and advice to players becoming a critical part of the team's success. In 2017, she was inducted in the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame.
"I love working with these young people. I think that's what kept my heart young—not my body young—but kept my heart young all these years," Sister Jean said in a profile created by the university to celebrate her 100th birthday.
Sister Jean is survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Tidwell, and her niece, Jan Schmidt. Layola University will announce funeral arrangements at a later date.
Read the original article on People
Category: General Sports
