Loyola University Chicago’s Sister Jean, most famously known for her endorsement of the athletic department, is releasing a memoir entitled “Wake Up with Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years.”
The religious sister, who belongs to the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was born in San Francisco, California in 1919. Following devout Catholicism all her life, she went on to religious sister and relocated to Chicago as a teacher in 1961.
Since 1994, Sister Jean has been a team chaplain for the Ramblers men’s basketball team. According to LUC, “her role with the team has also earned her numerous accolades, including a much-deserved induction in the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame.”
Given her inspiring life, her memoir is expected to be well received. Set to be published on February 28th of next year, publisher Harper Select described the book as “part life story, part philosophy text, and part spiritual guide.
Sister Jean discusses her decision to write a book
“I’ve seen so many changes in the last 103 years, but the important things remain the same. I wanted to recount the story of my life for people, not because I feel that I am so special or my life has been so extraordinary, but rather as a way to give people hope and optimism that once they find their purpose, they can go through life with joy and fulfillment,” Sister Jean said in a statement issued by her publisher.
She added the sentiments, “As I write in the book, it took me 98 years to become an overnight sensation, and I have a lot more living to do. I hope people will enjoy taking this very, very long stroll down memory lane with me.”
For decades, Sister Jean was a recognizable figure on the Loyola Chicago campus, but she went viral in 2018 when she sat courtside and cheered on the basketball team during the NCAA Championship. Since she is still highly involved with Loyola culture, she was hesitant to agree to a book deal with Seth David.
“When Seth Davis asked if I would be interested in writing a book together, I was skeptical that I could find the time. I still go into my office at Loyola five days a week and keep a very busy schedule year-round,” Sister Jean admitted.”I’m glad I agreed to give it a try because I enjoyed so much revisiting all these memories that I hadn’t thought about in so many years.”
What to Read Next...
At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.