Patricia Kasten will retire on April 3 following 36-plus years with the diocese
By Jeff Kurowski | On Mission
ALLOUEZ — In November of 1987, Patricia Kasten accepted what was expected to be a six-month reporter position with The Compass, the newspaper for the Diocese of Green Bay. More than 36 years later, she closes the book on a diocesan career filled with memorable people, stories, places, projects, awards, rewards and challenges.
Kasten, who served in the role of associate editor of The Compass for most of her years with the diocese, will retire on April 3.
She started writing for the diocesan newspaper two years before joining the office staff. Kasten first served as a freelance correspondent.
“I had a regular beat. We used to do that back then,” she said. “Everyone had areas they had to cover. Mine was Appleton.”
Staff changes led to her six-month position becoming permanent. Cardinal Adam Maida was bishop of the Green Bay Diocese at the time, and Kasten recalls an encounter with him that turned out to be both challenging and rewarding.
In November of 1989, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released “Called to Compassion and Responsibility, A Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis.”
“I had to write something on that and then take it to Cardinal Maida for his approval,” said Kasten. “I sat there as he read the whole thing. It was one of those stomach-churning moments. I had to prove I could explain church teaching on a touchy subject in the right way. After he finished reading (my story), he said, ‘Good job. I’m fine with it.’
“I never had to run anything by him again,” she added. “When I saw him years later, I think it was at Bishop (David) Zubik’s welcome reception, he said, ‘Here’s my favorite writer.’”
The transition to new bishops leading the Diocese of Green Bay stands out as somewhat frantic times editorially, said Kasten. While the newspaper staff would be informed in advance of the current bishop’s retirement date and could plan accordingly, the timing of the successor’s introduction was a surprise.
“It hits out of the blue. They are all secret,” said Kasten, adding that editorial staff is told only shortly before the official press notice. “You’ve got a new bishop coming and we want that in the paper as soon as possible.”
The death of St. John Paul II in 2005 comes to mind as a poignant event for Kasten. She took the lead on the editorial content honoring the 263rd pope.
Kasten said she is thankful for the many people she met doing stories for The Compass, including some high-profile visitors to the diocese.
“I met Sr. Thea Bowman (known for her contributions to the Catholic Church as an advocate for cultural awareness and racial harmony) and interviewed her. She’s on the road to sainthood,” said Kasten. “I met Mother Angelica. She had a really sharp wit. She came to talk at Xavier (High School in Appleton). She was getting things started in Alabama. She was just starting EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network). It did exist at that time, but was quite small.”
Kasten covered a fundraiser for the children’s wing of what is now HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. Ventriloquist and puppeteer Shari Lewis was a special guest, along with Lamb Chop.
“The people I’ve met show you the variety of the church. It really is as some have said, ‘a big tent,’” said Kasten. “Inside, there are several rings, but it’s all the same tent, the same church.”
Reflecting on the components of her work, Kasten said that she especially enjoyed projects that had impact beyond a story in print. The annual “Just for Kids” essay contest and artwork contest was an example.
“It started small and by the time it ended in 2022, we had hundreds of kids participating. The teachers would call every year in September and October to ask if we were having it again,” said Kasten.
“It started with small essays,” she continued. “I would ask them to respond to a simple question like, ‘What was your favorite Christmas present?’ You would get ‘my Tonka truck’ or ‘my Barbie Playhouse,’ but you would also get those touching ones, like ‘my toy car because it was from my uncle, because he died the next year.’
“We added artwork to the contest and World Mission Services joined us. We had six or seven winners (nationally) who were able to go to Washington, D.C., to go to the National Shrine and be recognized with a plaque featuring their artwork,” she noted with pride.
Kasten also coordinated the annual “Wish List” project for The Compass for several years. Parish and school groups as well as nonprofit organizations, submitted requests for needed items.
“We were able to get something as small as a ream of office paper for somebody to as big as a deck for a women’s shelter, and a security system for another,” said Kasten. “You’re like a conduit between a need and someone who can fill that need. It was such a blessing to be able to link generous people to a specific need. People were shocked when they received the donated items. The grace of God was moving there.”
In addition to writing feature stories and editorials for The Compass, Kasten wrote the regular “Foundations of Faith” column, which was originated by Renae Bauer, when she served as assistant editor. The column addressed a range of topics about the Catholic faith.
“I enjoyed the research. I learned a lot. I didn’t have any idea of the topics, where to go. I let the Holy Spirit guide me,” said Kasten. “Some of it was based on what was happening in the church year. When I went to the Holy Land and Rome, that gave me a lot of ideas to draw upon for writing.”
Kasten said the late Fr. Richard Ver Bust served as a resource in writing Foundations of Faith and encouraged her to take classes to help her with background for the column. In 2005, she earned a master’s in theological studies from St. Norbert College in De Pere.
“There was no way I could have tackled some of the things I covered in Foundations or the annulment series I did a few years ago if I didn’t have the training in Scripture and the history of the church,” said Kasten.
She added that she is thankful for the support of Fr. David Pleier, who also served for several years as a resource for Foundations of Faith following Fr. Ver Bust’s death.
Kasten, who was honored with awards from the Catholic Press Association throughout her career, also coordinated the Sisters’ Jubilee section in The Compass for 35 years.
“I would develop questions based on the theme,” she said about the special section. “We had 40, 50 sisters some years, so you couldn’t do stories on all of them. I sent each jubilarian a questionnaire. I ran their photos and responses. It was important to give them a voice. We would get the sweetest stories.”
She also wrote three books, two of which were published by Our Sunday Visitor.
Kasten said she doesn’t have major retirement plans. She will continue to create the “Scripture Search,” a separate project she does outside of her work at the diocese. The “Scripture Search” was a part of the Sunday Readings page in the newspaper in The Compass and appears elsewhere across the country.
After The Compass was published for its final edition in December 2023, Kasten transitioned to the role of multimedia content writer for On Mission.
“I really enjoyed The Compass. I learned so much from so many people,” she said. “All the people I worked with have been wonderful. I appreciate all the wonderful people I’ve met when sharing their stories. It’s a personal trust you share to tell someone’s story.”
A retirement Mass for Patricia Kasten will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, in St. Joseph Chapel on the campus of the Diocese of Green Bay in Allouez. A luncheon will follow.
Anyone wishing to send a congratulatory card or letter for Patricia Kasten may send it to: Jeff Kurowski/Congratulations Patricia, ℅ On Mission, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay, WI 54305-3825. Cards and letters will be forwarded.