The campus of Loyola University on Chicago's Far North Side now has a statue of its most famous basketball fan.
On what would have been Sister Jean's 107th birthday on Friday, a statue of the beloved basketball team chaplain, who died last October, was unveiled for the public, and will forever sit on the Loyola campus.
Loyola University President Dr. Mark Reed was one of the thousands on hand to pay tribute to Sister Jean, whose full name was Jean Dolores Schmidt, saying, "She was known as the chaplain of the basketball team but was really chaplain to the whole campus. And still people continue to ask me about Sister Jean, and it will always be a privilege to bear witness to her love, her loyalty, her energy, her care, her passion, her memory, her wit, and sense of humor, her commitment."
Littleton Alston created the Sister Jean sculpture, saying to the crowded campus on a pleasant late summer day as the school year begins, "she's seated on a low bench so the sculpture is totally approachable to anyone who wants to sit next to her and take a picture next to her and...just maybe get a little advice. The sculpture is made of cast bronze and will endure the elements for thousands of years to come."
Sister Jean's niece, Janet Schmidt, was one of the first to sit on the bench next to the statue, telling WBBM, "She was like a matriarch to the entire family. She loved the students here at Loyola...everybody was always first, she was always second."
Sister Jean gained national fame during the Loyola men's basketball team's run to the NCAA Final Four in 2018.
Beloved Basketball Chaplain Died Last Year at 106
Beloved Basketball Chaplain Died Last Year at 106
