Loyola Universtity celebrates Sister Jean's 103rd birthday with train plaza named in her honor
Loyola University legend, Sister Jean, honored with train plaza named after her
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Loyola University’s Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt got some Chicago hardware with her name on it for her 103rd birthday.
School, city and state leaders celebrated Sunday with the Catholic nun who became something of a folk hero as chaplain for the Loyola men’s basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2018.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A highlight was the renaming in her honor of the Chicago train station plaza at the Loyola campus. Students and visitors will pass by a large sign marking it as "Home of the World Famous Sister Jean!"
Loyola University legend, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, speaks to press during her 103rd birthday celebration at her new namesake, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Plaza next to the Loyola Red Line station in Chicago, Aug. 21, 2022. (Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
Loyola officials praised Sister Jean, who was dressed in school colors of maroon and gold, as a mentor to generations of students.
When asked what she’s looking forward to in the upcoming school year, Sister Jean’s answer was simple: "Just being with the students. I just love being at Loyola."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She called the plaza dedication "very special" and gave her secrets to longevity: "I eat well. I pray well — I hope I pray well — and I sleep well."
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