As I sat watching the NFL playoff games on Sunday I was reminded how the simple joy of cheering for my favorite team lifted my spirits.  It is in that spirit that I introduce, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Loyola University’s 101-year-old basketball chaplain and her positive outlook on life.   At age 101, Sister Jean is living through her second pandemic.  Every day during the Covid19 epidemic, she is up at 5 a.m. for morning prayers before starting work on Zoom.  Confined to her apartment, she answers emails and records pre-game prayers for her beloved Loyola Ramblers.  Sister Jean, who turned 101 in August, longs to return to face-to-face interaction with students and fellow faculty members.  Yet, as COVID and Zoom fatigue have set in across the country, Sister Jean remains hopeful as her prayers for the health and safety of others continue.  She attributes her optimism to her mother who always encouraged the children to find the positives of every situation in life – no matter what.  “My mom told us to always look on the bright side of life, always.  I think about all of these awful things that are happening, but I want to look at the good things.  I know sometimes, it’s easy to say, ‘Everything is bad’ but no, not everything is bad.  We want to work on the bad and make it good, but we have to believe that something good is going to come out of this….I think we’re going to be better.  We have to think good is going to come out of this, but we have to do some good to make that happen.  I shouldn’t just say, ‘my neighbor has to do that’ – no, I have to do that.”  For now, Sister Jean continues to pray for those around her – both those that she knows and those that she doesn’t.  Many who ask her for prayers ask for perseverance as they await better days ahead (Patch.com)

I close with a prayer from Sister Jean with a modification from the Loyola Rambler’s to the HHH team.

We ask our God to protect our caregivers, all healthcare personnel, the elderly, and those especially susceptible, those who are suffering from this disease and those who have died, as well as those who are mourning the death of their loved ones.  As the days go by let us continue our team spirit, let us bring happiness and joy to others and let us ask our God to continue to protect us with His great love.  So God bless us, stay healthy, be safe, and go HHH team.  Amen.

Sarah McEvoy, CPE Intern