Sister Helen Carey, OSB, 91, of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL, passed away on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at the Monastery.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 am, Thursday, July 6, 2023, in the Chapel of St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island. The Mass will be live-streamed through the Benedictine Sisters of St. Mary Monastery Facebook page. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Rock Island. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at the Monastery, with a Christian Wake service at 7:00 p.m. Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Milan, IL, is assisting with arrangements. Memorials may be made to St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island.

Helen (Mary Ann) Carey was born on August 18, 1931, in Chicago, a daughter of John and Helen (Marmion) Carey. She entered the Benedictine Community on December 8, 1952. She made her profession as a Benedictine Sister on August 23, 1957.

Sister Helen attended St. Raymond's, Joliet, IL, and Immaculate Conception, Streator, IL, Streator Township High School, received her bachelor's from St. Scholastica College, Duluth, MN., master's from St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO., and her Doctorate in Philosophy from Fordham University, New York, NY.

Sister Helen's ministry included: serving as an elementary teacher in Illinois at Chicago, Wenona; high school teacher at St. Mary's Academy, Nauvoo, IL, Cathedral High School, St. Cloud, MN., college instructor and professor at Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles, CA., Fordham University, New York, Centre College, KY., She served as Parish Associate at St. Mark's Parish, Peoria, Chaplain, and Faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University, and Lincoln College, Bloomington, IL., and Chaplain at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, IL.  Since 2009 she served in community ministries at St Mary Monastery, Rock Island, IL.

Sister Helen is survived by her Benedictine Sisters; sisters, Patricia (Joseph) Morris; half-sister, Colleen (Richard) Barrett; and a sister-in-law, Zelma Carey.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and brothers, John, and Robert Carey