Sister Jean retires as Loyola Chicago basketball chaplain due to health concerns

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Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved chaplain for Loyola Chicago's men's basketball team, is retiring at 106 years old due to health concerns, according to the school's student newspaper. 

Sister Jean, who has become a staple in the college basketball community and an important member of the Ramblers' family since first being named team chaplain in 1994, has entered retirement just weeks after celebrating her 106th birthday. 

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the Loyola University men's basketball chaplain and school celebrity, sits for a portrait in The Joseph J. Gentile Arena, on Jan. 23, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Vice president of communications Christian Anderson confirmed to The Loyola Phoenix earlier this month that Schmidt would no longer serve in official duties. He did not expand on Sister Jean’s health concerns. 

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"Sister Jean is retiring and stepping back from official duties at Loyola," Anderson told the student newspaper. "We are mindful of Sister’s privacy in regards to health and can’t comment beyond what was mentioned in her [Aug. 21] message." 

In a message to the student body on her birthday, Sister Jean explained her absence on campus. 

"Birthdays are special days, and this one is also very special. In fact, I am unable to be there because I have a bad summer cold and other health issues so it has been decided that I should not go to Lake Shore Campus to be with you on my birthday. That makes me very sad, but you can still celebrate." 

Sister Jean looks on as the Loyola Ramblers defeat the Drake Bulldogs in the finals of the Missouri Valley