Chicago and Loyola University will pay their respects to a local legend this week.
Sister Jean Dolores Bertha Schmidt, the Loyola men’s basketball team chaplain who stole the hearts of basketball fans worldwide in 2018 when the team reached the NCAA Final Four, died last week at age 106. Her funeral will be held Thursday, and a visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, the university said.
The services are sure to be well-attended.
Sister Jean was a fixture on Loyola’s campus for decades, and her presence at men’s basketball games came with faith, encouragement and a fair amount of game strategy. Students said Sister Jean, who was known to leave the door to her office in the school’s student center open to students, was embedded into the university’s culture.
“For the entire college, she