Sister Jean, the beloved chaplain of Loyola Chicago’s men’s basketball team, announced her retirement from on-campus duties on her 106th birthday.
It closes the chapter on a remarkable 60-plus years of service to the university and its predecessor, Mundelein College.
“It has been wonderful for me to be with you these years and to watch you grow spiritually, intellectually, and socially, and to see the friends you’ve made,” Sister Jean wrote in a letter to students. “And to see the progress you’ve made in your academic life.”
“I’ve always been happy to share my time with you,” she added.
The happiness in seeing this woman happily cheering on her Ramblers over the many years has been all ours as fans of the sport. What a fantastic career.
Sister Jean – Final Four Star
Sister Jean rose to national fame during the Ramblers’ improbable 2018 Final Four run in the NCAA tournament. Her enthusiastic support in team colors captured hearts and symbolized the program’s underdog spirit.
During that run, Loyola Chicago took down the 6th-seed Miami Hurricanes, the 3rd-seed Tennessee Volunteers, the 7th-seed Nevada Wolf Pack, and the 9th-seed Kansas State Wildcats.
Those first three contests saw three straight dramatic game-winning, buzzer-beating shots to move on. It almost seemed like divine intervention, provided by Sister Jean’s prayers, was guiding the team.
The Ramblers were the 11-seed. They would eventually lose to the Michigan Wolverines in the Final Four matchup.
Not before Sister Jean had become a national star, perhaps even more so than any players who competed in the tournament. Not before she became a part of NCAA March Madness lore.
She’ll forever be remembered for the team high-fiving her after each victory and leading the team in prayer before each game.
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Doing everything she could for the School
In an interview with Sports Illustrated back in 2023, Sister Jean emphasized how she always did her best to utilize her newfound fame to help the school and grow her congregation.
“What this [fame] all did to my life, I just went with the flow, I guess, and did everything that people were asking me to do,” Sister Jean said in 2023. “If it’s doing some good for my congregation and for Loyola, then I’ll go for it.”
Her letter to students seems to indicate that some “health issues” are keeping her from joining the team, as she assures the students she will be with them “in spirit.”
That will be the case for many, many years to come.
“Let your dreams become reality,” she wrote. “Don’t let anybody stop you.”
Just as she never let anybody stop her dreams, her beliefs.
Congratulations on your well-earned retirement, Sister Jean, and may you feel better very soon!