Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:24

Sister Helene was president of the Congregation from 2000 to 2007
Services for Sister Helene Lentz, former president of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, were held Friday, Dec. 30, at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Andover. Burial was at the Wichita Center of the Congregation of St. Joseph at 3700 E. Lincoln, Wichita. She died Dec. 22 at age 64.
Karen May Lentz was born on July 30, 1947, in Wichita, to Robert S. and Anna Lucille (Earnest) Lentz.
She entered the Congregation of St. Joseph on Aug. 5, 1963, and received the religious name of Sr. Helene. She was an educator, hospital administrator, and formation director for the order. She received a bachelor’s degree from Sacred Heart College (now Newman University) in Wichita and an master’s degree from Mundelein College in Chicago.
Sister Helene taught in schools in Paso Robles, Calif.; Coffeyville, and Colgan High School, Pittsburg.
She began a career in healthcare administration in 1990 as vice-president of Mission Development at St. Joseph Medical Center and was instrumental in the 1995 merger of the CSJ Health System and St. Francis Ministry Corporation becoming Via Christi Health System.
Sister Helene served the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita as director of Initial Formation from 1975 to 1990 and as assistant to the president in 1996. In 2000 she was elected president of the congregation, a position she held until 2007.
In her tenure she led the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita in joining six other congregations, becoming the Congregation of St. Joseph. Since then she served as corrector of the Magnificat Center and was founder of the Spiritual Strengths Cancer Care Center in Wichita.
Sr. Helene is survived by her sister, Lin Inkelaar of Fredericksburg, Texas; two brothers, Stan Lentz of Houston and Donn Lentz of Wichita, several nieces and nephews, and uncle and aunt, Sam and Lauren Lentz.
Memorial contributions may be made to Spiritual Strengths Cancer Care Program, sponsored by the Congregation of St. Joseph, 3700 E. Lincoln, Wichita, KS, 67218.