Beloved March Madness icon Sister Jean retires at 106
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the team chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago basketball team, who became a national celebrity during the school's 2018 underdog March Madness run, is retiring at the age of 106.
"Sister Jean is retiring and stepping back from official duties at Loyola," Christian Andersen, Loyola University Chicago vice president of communications, wrote in an email to the Loyola Phoenix, the school's student newspaper, earlier this month. "We are mindful of Sister's privacy in regards to health and can't comment beyond what was mentioned in her [Aug. 21] message."
On Aug. 21, to mark her 106th birthday, Schmidt had penned a letter to students and administrators, stating in part that she was unable to celebrate with them on campus as she had for past birthdays "because I have a bad summer cold and other health issues."
"That makes me very sad, but you can still celebrate," she wrote at the time, encouraging students to "make new friends. Talk to your old friends. Enjoy your move-in and your preparations for class."
"I will be with you in spirit and love and prayer," she added.
Schmidt wrote that it had been "wonderful for me to be with you these years and to watch you grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially, and to see the friends you've made. And to see the progress you've made in your academic life."
"I've always been happy to share my time with you," she wrote.
Schmidt concluded her note with a motivational message: "Let your dreams become reality. Don't let anybody stop you," she wrote.
School president Mark C. Reed also shared in a statement at the time that Schmidt would no longer be present on campus moving forward.
"While Sister Jean is no longer able to be physically present on campus, she remains a beloved friend, trusted advisor, and loyal Rambler -- cheering for our teams and praying for us all daily," he said then.
Schmidt transformed from a campus staple to a nationally beloved figure during the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament, when Loyola University Chicago broke off an awe-inspiring March Madness run as an 11-seed, skyrocketing the school's national profile as the team reached the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.
Schmidt cheered the team on fervently through their magical run as national broadcasters took notice of her fandom and support for the school.
A basketball player in her youth, Schmidt later became a nun, then a grade school teacher, and started girls sports programs before her time on the college basketball sidelines.
The team chaplain, who has been working with the men's basketball team for over 30 years, released a memoir in 2023.
"I think sports [are] very important because they help develop life skills, and during those life skills you're also talking about faiths and purpose," she said in a 2023 interview with ABC News.
ABC News has reached out to Loyola University Chicago for comment.
