News

Teacher, secretary, archivist ready to move on

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

	Sr. Ella's tips for decision-making: • Pray individually • Consult people who know you • Share your thoughts with friends and/or spiritual directors • Remember, you never really know: do what you can and ask the Lord to take care of you • Trust God • Pay attention: God is speaking to you.
	Related articles: from May 12, 2006 issue: • Jubilee Mass celebrates 2,340 years of service     Forty-two represent ten communities • photo (scroll down to 60-year Jubilarians) from March 30, 2001 issue: • Interest in journalism finds love of history     New diocesan archivist brings rich background     in records from Oct. 6, 2000 issue: • Longtime archivist retiring     Sr. Ella Kaster will continue her ministry     as a parish visitor at St. Mary in Oshkosh

How does someone know it's time to move on?

"It's a result of - day by day - trying to listen to what God is saying. And, without your knowing it, a decision is made."

That's how Sr. Ella Kaster, CSJ, retired diocesan archivist and volunteer in residence at St. Mary Parish, Oshkosh, describes her decision to move on. At the end of August, Sr. Ella, a 60th jubilarian of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, will move to St. Louis. She will live at Nazareth Living Center, a skilled nursing and residential care community run by her order.

Sr. Ella made the choice to move now, before ongoing health concerns would force the decision on her.

"My work isn't over," she said. "My days of parish work are over."

Sr. Ella - who turns 81 on Aug. 15 - has been a secretary, elementary and high school teacher (22 years at St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay), and - for the last six years - a volunteer at St. Mary, where her help has ranged from clerical to leading prayer services. From 1991 to 2000, she was archivist for the Green Bay Diocese, where she oversaw the records dating back to the 17th century.

And each of those jobs, brought a time when she knew she was meant to move on.

But how did she know?

Her philosophy is simple: "Everyday, I ask, 'God, what do you want me to do today? How do you want me to be with you? How can I serve you?'"

It's not always easy, she added. It takes a lot of prayer, talking it over and listening. Then it requires making a decision.

While friends and parishioners are sad to see her leave, Sr. Ella is happy. That, too, is her philosophy, one she learned from a priest, years ago. He told her, 'I owe it to myself to be happy.' So," Sr. Ella said, "I made the decision to be happy. This is God's decision for me, so I'm happy."

She's even at peace with giving up one of her great loves - baking. Last April, while making muffins for a photo for The Compass, she found it too hard to pour out the batter. She hasn't baked since and has given away her recipes and many cookbooks - which had filled a bookcase.

She laughs about how a photo brought about the decision to hang up her spatula. "God has a real strange way of getting his message across."

Even though she joined religious life at a time when members were told what their ministry would be, she's been able to do everything she dreamed of as a girl.

She wanted to be a secretary, like her favorite aunt. So she was a secretary - by choice - for two years after high school ("I was so naïve; it helped me grow up.") Later, she served as a secretary in the diocesan offices for six years before becoming archivist.

She wanted to be a teacher, like her mother. She has taught in schools in Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria and Indianapolis. She also taught for 22 years in her hometown of Green Bay, most of them teaching history to high school students.

She had known, from high school, that she wanted to be a sister. She was 20 when she entered the St. Louis-based order that had taught her at St. Joseph Academy.

And, since she loves to study, she also has earned master's degrees in pastoral ministry and history.

It's funny how things work out. Everything she might have wished to do before she decided to enter the convent happened anyway; maybe not in the order she might have planned. But they all - everything she dreamed - happened. All from listening to God first.

And now she looks forward to what more she can do as she moves on. Listening to God has told her, through two years of decreasing energy, that "it was time to go to the retirement home."

So Sr. Ella's approaching it in the same way as a reflection she prepared for a prayer service on Aug. 2. It was based on the Gospel about the pearl of great price for which a merchant sells all that he has.

"It's a risk," Sr. Ella said. "Am I willing to take that risk? If I want heaven, am I willing to give up everything I do to get it?"

She says it's just a matter of listening to God and moving on as directed.

(Sr. Ella's new address will be Nazareth Living Center, Room 551, 2 Nazareth Lane, St. Louis, MO 63129-7600.)