Carrying Compassion into Every Corner of Our Communities
The call to chaplaincy is always personal, but its impact extends far beyond the individual chaplain. At the Episcopal Community Services (ECS) Spiritual Care and Education Center, we prepare chaplains to carry compassion into the most unexpected places. Our graduates never know where their journey will lead or whose lives they will be asked to touch—but they go forward ready to meet people in their moments of deepest need.
Today, ECS-trained chaplains are serving in places as diverse as police departments, hospices, faith communities, senior care facilities, business workplaces, in the military, and neighborhoods close to their own. In each setting, they embody presence, hope, and care, offering spiritual support that meets people right where they are. Their work reminds us that chaplaincy is not confined to hospitals—it belongs wherever people seek meaning, comfort, and connection.
Chaplain Mary Elizabeth Christensen
Providing compassionate companionship and non-judgemental listening to everyone she meets.
Take Mary Elizabeth Christensen, for example. Currently serving as a part-time Chaplain at Timpanogos Regional Medical Center, Mary Elizabeth’s ministry often extends beyond hospital walls. When a neighbor sought her help with making end-of-life decisions, Mary Elizabeth walked closely with her and her family—offering guidance, tenderness, and prayer in the final weeks of life. After her neighbor’s passing, she continued providing bereavement support, embodying what it means to accompany others through both loss and healing.
Chaplain Deborah Milan-Niler
Fostering hope through her words and presence both inside and outside hospital walls.
Deborah Milan-Niler has discovered her own unique path. An ECS Staff Chaplain at Lakeview Hospital, Deborah also serves as a volunteer chaplain for the Park City and Summit County Police Departments. Her long-standing passion for supporting first responders has become central to her ministry. Whether she is called to the scene of a car accident, comforting a family after a suicide, or standing shoulder to shoulder with officers at a Fallen Officer Memorial Service, Deborah’s presence brings calm and compassion when it is needed most. She also participates in community events, like the annual Shop-With-a-Cop program, as well as induction and rank-advancement ceremonies. Her presence strengthening bonds of care and trust with those she serves with.
Chaplain Julie Vesely
Enhancing the wellbeing of others utilizing her own gifts of creative expression.
Former ECS Staff Chaplain and chaplain education program graduate, Julie Vesely, spent nearly five years as Spiritual Director and later Chaplain at Flourish Bakery, a unique nonprofit that gives individuals “the opportunity to begin again” through the art and skills of professional baking. Julie worked alongside the staff in the kitchen, supporting them through times of crisis and leading an art and Spirituality group that helped participants connect creativity with healing.
Together, these stories reveal an essential truth: chaplaincy is not bound by walls or titles. Whether sitting quietly at a neighbor’s bedside, standing with first responders in moments of crisis, or encouraging those rebuilding their lives, ECS-trained chaplains bring compassion into every corner of our communities. Their presence reminds us that spiritual care is not only about words or rituals—it is about walking alongside others in the sacred journey of being human.
