Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved team chaplain for the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, died on Thursday, October 9, at age 106.

Sister Jean became a media sensation in 2018 when she supported the Loyola Ramblers as they made the Final Four of the NCAA March Madness tournament for the first time in decades. The nun was often seen on the sidelines during the tournament, cheering and praying for the team.

Loyola University Chicago president Mark C. Reed said in a statement on Thursday, “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.”

“While we feel grief and a sense of loss, there is great joy in her legacy. Her presence was a profound blessing

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