Basketball-loving nun Sister Jean celebrates 105th birthday

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, who captured the country’s attention during March Madness in 2018, turned 105 on Wednesday.

Social media posts about Sister Jean’s birthday — and her ongoing work at Loyola University Chicago — say she’s doing well and continuing to inspire the students she works with.

There’s “no one like her,” wrote Porter Moser , the former Loyola University Chicago basketball coach who is now head coach at the University of Oklahoma.

He noted that Sister Jean is still working five days per week.

Sister Jean in 2024

Sister Jean became an overnight celebrity during the 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament after Loyola’s men’s team shocked the country by making it all the way to the Final Four.

During that magical run, Sister Jean could be seen cheering on her boys from her wheelchair. She also prayed for them and with them since she served as the team’s chaplain.

Since 2018, Sister Jean has published a memoir and made many notable public appearances, like when she threw out the first pitch for the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field last summer.

She’s been a Catholic nun since 1938 and has worked at Loyola University Chicago since 1991. She began offering tutoring to the school’s men’s and women’s basketball team in 1994 and became the men’s team’s official chaplain in 1996, according to a timeline of Sister Jean’s life put together by Loyola University Chicago.

Sister Jean’s birthday

Some of Sister Jean’s most prominent friends shared social media posts for her 105th birthday, including Catholic Cardinal Blase Cupich , who prayed at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, and the MLB .

“Happy birthday, Sister Jean! You are an inspiration to all of us,” wrote Archbishop Cupich, who leads the Archdiocese of Chicago.