[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 172 (Friday, October 17, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SISTER JEAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2025

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, known to many simply as ``Sister 
Jean,'' the beloved chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men's 
basketball team. Sister Jean was more than an icon of Loyola; she was 
its beating heart.
  While she first captured national attention during the 2018 NCAA 
March Madness Tournament, her impact extended far beyond the basketball 
court and long before the headlines. For decades, Sister Jean inspired 
generations of students, athletes, and educators through her faith, 
wisdom, and joyful spirit.
  Born and raised in San Francisco, California, during the hardships of 
the Great Depression, Sister Jean learned the values of perseverance 
and compassion early in life. The eldest of three children, she 
developed a lifelong love of sports and community. After graduating 
from high school, she answered her calling to religious life, entering 
the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in March 1938, 
fulfilling a dream she had since childhood.
  Sister Jean began her career as an educator, shaping the minds and 
hearts of young people across the country. She taught elementary school 
at St. Vincent in Chicago and St. Charles Borromeo in North Hollywood, 
California, and later served as both an elementary and music teacher at 
St. Bernard in Los Angeles, where she also became principal.
  She went on to serve as associate academic dean and an instructor in 
the education department at Mundelein College in Chicago, before 
beginning her 34-year ministry at Loyola University Chicago. There she 
held numerous administrative roles. Although she had planned to retire 
at the age of seventy-five after more than fifty years of teaching, she 
was asked to take on one more task: to help Loyola's men's and women's 
basketball players with their studies. That simple request became a 
defining chapter in her life. As team chaplain, Sister Jean brought 
faith, encouragement, and humor to every practice and game, earning the 
affection of players, coaches, and fans across the Nation.
  It is rare for someone like Sister Jean to come into our lives, but 
when they do, we are all better for it. Her life was extraordinary not 
only for her accomplishments, but also for the way she inspired others 
to recognize the extraordinary within themselves. As she often said, 
``Being yourself is extraordinary, because each of us is a unique 
individual.''
  Mr. Speaker, Sister Jean's century-long life was a testament to joy, 
service, and faith. She reminded us that purpose is not found in fame 
or fortune but in love for others and belief in the potential of every 
person. Like so many whose lives she touched, I will always be grateful 
for her example.

                          ____________________