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 Monday, Jan. 23, in Chicago. The beloved Catholic nun, who has become something of a folk hero while supporting the Ramblers, is publishing her first book, offering spiritual guidance and sharing her life story.
February 17, 2023
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Sister Jean publishes memoir of faith, basketball
She's known simply as Sister Jean — the Catholic nun who captured the sports world's imagination as chaplain for the Loyola Chicago men's basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2018. Now, at age 103, she is publishing her first book, offering spiritual guidance and sharing her life story. The title is long, but catchy: "Wake Up with Purpose: What I've Learned in My First Hundred Years". She has been featured by newspapers and TV stations across America, and her likeness appears on socks, bobbleheads, even a Lego statue at Loyola's art museum. She sees the attention as a holy opportunity to share the lessons she's learned.