In a Time of Need, We Turn to Sister Jean

As the health crisis changes the way Americans live, Sister Jean, like many, is working from home. Her apartment sits almost eight miles from Loyola’s campus, where she still has an office in the university’s student center. Rather than maintaining the open-door policy that lets students seek her out, Sister Jean is now limited to communicating through emails, phone calls and video conferencing. Because the pandemic forced the campus to close, the end-of-season meetings Sister Jean scheduled with players became phone calls.

The list of childhood dreams shared during those conversations ran the gamut. Some players looked forward to a life spent as a zookeeper or a medieval knight. Others imagined playing Division I basketball and reaching the N.B.A., while others envisioned themselves, like Sister Jean, committing to a life serving God.

Whether their dreams were realized or had changed, Sister Jean asked players to explore how their dreams had shaped them, leading up to such a life-altering period of time. After living through the Great Depression, the upheaval of World War II and the devastating terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Sister Jean now contemplates how the country will emerge from this crisis — which she says is unlike any she has experienced before.

Sister Jean believes that over time, people will become kinder, more thoughtful and cautious. In a recent video, she encouraged people to stick together and to continue to work together.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/sports/ncaabasketball/sister-jean-ncaa-tournament-canceled.html