Sister Agnes Helgenberger, OSB, 90, a Benedictine sister of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kan., died Monday, May 20, 2024, at the monastery. The vigil service will be Friday, May 24, at 7 p.m. in the monastery chapel; and the Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated there Saturday, May 25 at 9:00 A.M. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 5001 NE Cookingham Dr., Kansas City, Mo.

Sister Agnes was born in Kolonia, Pohnpei, Micronesia, on April 5, 1934, the first of five children. In the matriarchal culture there, Sister Agnes was born to be “limese kedil” (matriarch of the clan). Instead, she followed God's call to become a Mercedarian Missionary of Berriz in 1953 and taught for 30 years in Micronesia and Guam. She came to the United States in 1968 to earn her B.S. at St. Mary's College in Leavenworth.

During a sabbatical in 1989, while living in the Mercedarian community in Liberty, Mo., she began to pray the Divine Office with the nearby Benedictine Sisters. She subsequently entered Queen of the Angels Monastery and made her lifetime vows in 1996. During her years in Liberty, she served in their thrift store and food pantry, was a substitute teacher at Liberty High School, taught bible school, and ministered in prison. She loved teaching, especially the students with more challenging needs. Sister Agnes was elected prioress in 2007. When the Liberty monastery closed in 2018, she asked to become a member of Mount St. Scholastica, transferring her profession in March of 2020. Faithful to prayer and generous in service, she brought joy to both sisters and staff in Dooley Center. She also remained a highly respected, beloved and central member of the Micronesian community in the Kansas City area.

Sister Agnes was preceded in death by her parents, Edmund and Martha (Wilson) Helgenberger, her brothers, Aluis, Domingo, and Cyril Helgenberger, and her sister, Cypriana Mendiola. She is survived by nieces and nephews and her monastic family.

Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home (www.arensberpruett.com) is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be sent to Mount St. Scholastica or made online at the Mount- web site (www.mountosb.org).