Nora was born Nov. 6, 1896, in Louisville, Ky., to James and Mary Marron Langan. She was 7 years old when her mother died. Her father was in the armed forces and was unable to care for his two daughters as he thought best. His sister, Mary Langan Clark, took them to Greenwood, Miss., to join her family. Nora attended Davis Elementary School there and came to Mount Saint Joseph Academy for high school. After completing her sophomore year, Nora took up commercial study and became a secretary. Desiring to become a religious, she entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. On May 2, 1917, following her postulancy, Nora received the Ursuline habit and was given the name Sister Callista.
Sister Callista began her teaching apostolate at St. Paul School in Louisville where she taught grades two and three. She also taught commercial subjects to out‑of‑school parishioners on weekends. Following seven years at St. Paul, she was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi School in Chicago, Ky., where she taught grades six through eight and commercial subjects in high school. After assignments to Chicago and St. Lawrence, Ky., Sister Callista taught nine years at St. Benedict School in Nebraska City, Neb. Later assignments took her back to schools in Kentucky: Hardinsburg, Stanley, Owensboro (Blessed Mother, Immaculate and Precious Blood) and Curdsville. Sister also taught at Glennonville, Mo. Her final mission was St. Bernard School in Louisville, teaching a half‑day schedule.
Sister Callista retired to Mount Saint Joseph in 1974. She assisted in the Student Shop and helped the infirm Sisters at mealtime in the cafeteria. On May 6, 1976, Sister was rushed to Daviess County Hospital in Owensboro. She died while the doctors were trying to revive her from a heart attack. Two days later, Msgr. Bernard Powers, chaplain, offered the funeral Mass. Sister Callista’s remains are laid to rest in the convent cemetery.