Sister Jean, Loyola's 'basketball nun', turns 106

Sister Jean celebrates 106 years

Sister Jean Delores Schmidt, the Loyola University Chicago chaplain who became a national figure, turns 106!

CHICAGO - Sister Jean Delores Schmidt, the Loyola University Chicago chaplain who became a national figure during the Ramblers’ 2018 Final Four run, turned 106.

College Basketball: NCAA Final Four Preview: Closeup portrait of Loyola Chicago Loyola Chicago nun and team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt on court during team practice session on eve of gamevs Michigan at Alamodome. San Antonio, TX 3/30/2018 C

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The backstory:

Born in San Francisco in 1919, Sister Jean joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and spent decades teaching before moving to Chicago, where she worked at Mundelein College and later Loyola. 

In 1994, she became the chaplain for Loyola’s men’s basketball team – a role that brought her national attention for her scouting reports, pregame prayers and courtside presence. 

RELATED ARTICLE: Sister Jean switches sports, tosses out 1st ball at Wrigley

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 15: Jean Dolores Schmidt BVM, Sister Jean, a chaplain for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers celebrates a victory after a game between the Valparaiso Crusaders and the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on January 15, 2019, at the Joseph J. Genti

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Big picture view:

But Sister Jean’s influence stretches beyond sports. She was often seen in Loyola’s student center, stopping by to greet students with her trademark smile. 

According to an article by Scott Alessi of Loyola University Chicago, Sister Jean encouraged young people to be themselves, advice that has kept her "heart young" even in her later years. 

Loyola Chicago's Sister Jean publishes new memoir 'Wake Up with Purpose'

Chicagoans love Loyola University's Sister Jean, but how much do we really know about her 103 years of life? The chaplain for the Loyola men's basketball team that reached the Final Four in 2018 joined Good Day Chicago on Monday to discuss her new memoir "Wake Up with Purpose!"

Her longevity, she often explains, comes from a simple lesson passed down from her mother: "It is better to wear out than to rust out." For generations of Loyola students, that motto has defined her life of faith, service and joy.