Born in Owensboro, Ky., on July 24, 1872, Mary Frances was the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Coomes O’Flynn. She attended grade school at St. Frances Academy in Owensboro, then she attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy for her high school. Following her graduation in 1890, she stayed at home two years keeping house for her widowed father, a brother, and a sister until she graduated from the Academy. Then Mary Frances entered the newly erected novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph on August 15, 1895, as a member of the first band of postulants. On June 12, 1896, following her postulancy, Mary Frances received the Ursuline habit and the name Sister Mary Agnes.
Sister Agnes spent 10 years teaching at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, and then was appointed mistress of novices — a position she held for 14 years. During this time she also served as assistant to Mother Aloysius Willett and traveled to New Mexico with the first band of Sisters to found the new missions. Staying with them for a year she erected Sacred Heart Academy in Waterflow and also opened schools in Farmington and Blanco. Sister Agnes was elected mother superior in 1920 and served in this capacity for eight years. After this she remained at Mount Saint Joseph and worked in various capacities. She was moderator of the Sodality, and co-founder and moderator of the Alumnae Association of the Junior College and Academy. Sister Agnes also collected the data which has preserved the history and struggles of the Ursulines, alumnae and students since the foundation of Mount Saint Joseph by Father Paul Joseph Volk, Sister Augustine Bloemer, and Sister Aloysius Willett.
Death came to Sister Agnes on July 14, 1947. Three days later the Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated by Bishop Francis Cotton who was assisted by three priests. Father Gilbert Henninger, MSJ chaplain, delivered the sermon. Altogether 11 priests were present as were representatives from several congregations of women religious. Sister Agnes was then buried in the convent cemetery.
The bodies of Sister Agnes’ parents — Richard and Elizabeth O’Flynn — share a grave plot at Mount Saint Joseph. Mr. O’Flynn was buried in the convent cemetery at the time of his death in 1918. Mrs. O’Flynn who died in 1878, was originally buried in the family cemetery of her parents -‑ Benedict and Corilla Ford Coomes -‑ but her remains were moved to Mount Saint Joseph cemetery in 1991. The half‑acre cemetery, owned by the Coomes’ heirs, was auctioned to make way for commercial expansion in Owensboro. Remains of the other deceased were moved to Mater Dolorosa Cemetery in Owensboro.