Sunlight bathed Loyola University’s Madonna Della Strada Chapel on Thursday as hundreds came together to honor and mourn Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt.
Students, friends and relatives remembered Sister Jean as “the heart of Loyola,” who dedicated her life to teaching and serving God.
“Beyond the Ramblers, Jean has been with and for the whole extended Loyola University community,” Sister Mary Ann Zollmann told mourners. “As a woman of wisdom, prayer and compassion, she has been an adviser and confidant. The heartbeat of God’s friendship and the heart of Loyola, and it is for this that she wants to be remembered.”
Sister Jean, a beloved member of the university, died Oct. 9. She was 106.
The funeral Mass was held at the chapel, on the lakefront of Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus, 6453 N. Kenmore Ave. in Rogers Park.
Sister Jean, a Catholic nun who served as chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, was known for her love of the game. But her relationships extended beyond the players and the court.
Sister Jean became a household name when Loyola University’s men’s basketball team captured the nation’s attention with its Cinderella run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four. She led team prayers and was often seen sitting on the sidelines cheering her team on.
“She was a person of gratitude, not attitude,” said Father Patrick Dorsey during the funeral service. “Unless you were on the basketball court.”
Beyond her fame, Sister Jean was known for championing racial and gender equity, advocating for peace over war, and calling for a more inclusive Church.
She made time to support and offer advice to faculty, staff and most importantly, students.
“She sensed when someone was going through a time of loneliness, a sorrow in their family, struggles with their studies or their vocation, or simply needed a break from the intensity of it all,” Zollmann said.
Sophomore Izzy Lee said the service was as beautiful as Sister Jean.
“Sister Jean was amazing and truly an inspiration,” said Lee, who met Sister Jean on her first day of freshman year. “She was very interested in getting to know us. She was interested in getting to know the whole community.”
Sister Jean was a part of Loyola and the former Mundelein College for more than 60 years after moving to Chicago in 1961. She retired from her duties in September.
Many mourners were seen wearing the school colors — striped gold and maroon scarves — a staple piece in Sister Jean’s wardrobe.
At the funeral service, a photo of a smiling Sister Jean wearing the infamous scarf, was perched on an easel.
Sister Jean, known for her acts of kindness, her deep knowledge of the university, and her desire to see students succeed, was also known as a “consummate gossip,” said Father Michael Garanzini, who celebrated Mass.
“I mean gossip in the nicest sense of the term. Those who were close to her knew that she knew more than anyone else on campus,” he said.
According to Zollmann, Sister Jean urged others not to mourn her, saying she had lived a full and remarkable life and looked forward to what God had in store for her beyond this world.
“She tells us not to grieve or be troubled because she is in one of the many mansions in God’s house, and even assures us that we know the place well,” said Zollman during her eulogy. “Her mansion is a replica of her office on the first floor of Loyola’s Damen Student Center. It has large, clear windows and a wide open door through which you can see the residents of heaven, not passing by, but lined up for a visit with her.”