The Enduring Spirit: ECS Spiritual Care & Education Center at St. Mark’s Hospital

In a world where holistic care is more important than ever, the ECS Spiritual Care & Education Center stands as a powerful reminder that true healing embraces body, mind, and spirit. Thanks to the vision of Rev. Lincoln Ure and the dedication of those who followed in his footsteps, the Center continues to transform lives—one conversation, one moment of presence, one sacred encounter at a time.

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, St. Mark’s Hospital has long understood that healthcare is about more than medicine. Since its founding in 1872, the hospital has recognized the spiritual needs of patients and families as a crucial part of the healing process. Early on, Episcopal priests from local parishes volunteered as chaplains, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become a fully integrated spiritual care program.

That program was transformed by the arrival of Rev. Ure. A compassionate Episcopal priest, trained chaplain, and visionary leader, Rev. Ure recognized that spiritual care needed to be more than a well-meaning gesture. It needed structure, permanence, and professionalism. His response was the creation of the ECS Spiritual Care & Education Center, established 40 years ago to ensure spiritual support became an essential part of patient recovery—not merely an add-on.

Through the Center, Rev. Ure also introduced Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at St. Mark’s, a rigorous and transformative training program for spiritual caregivers and the first in Utah. He chose the gold standard of CPE education by accrediting the program with ACPE: The Standard For Spiritual Care & Education. Since its founding, the ECS Center has produced hundreds of ACPE-trained CPE graduates who now serve in hospitals, hospices, faith communities, the military, and throughout communities across the country and internationally.

Anita Catron, an early graduate of the program and an Episcopal Deacon, shared how CPE reshaped her ministry and personal life:

“CPE taught me to listen without being judgmental. It gave me the ability to really hear what people don’t say. It helped me face death, which had always been difficult for me. Being able to deal with death myself, and then help others, changed the course of my life.”

-Anita Catron

Episcopal Deacon Anita Catron and Karen Peña, ECS Executive Director, at the recent ECS Office Open House.

Rev. Claudia Giaccoma, another early student of Rev. Ure during the Center’s formative years, added:

“CPE changed my life. I can see where some people might be afraid to examine their beliefs and practices, but for me it was introspective and helped me gain self-knowledge.”

- Rev. Claudia Giaccoma

Today, the ECS Spiritual Care & Education Center offers an array of services that support the spiritual and emotional needs of patients, families, and hospital staff. ECS places students in eight hospitals in Utah, long-term senior housing facilities, and other settings.

The chaplains who serve through the center offer far more than comfort. They provide critical emotional and spiritual guidance, assist with ethical decision-making, support patients and families in crisis, and help build a sense of community and hope in times of isolation.

Rev. Ure’s legacy lives on not only in the physical presence of the Center, but in the lives it has touched and the leaders it has formed. By integrating spiritual care into the heart of healthcare, St. Mark’s Hospital continues to set a standard for compassionate, holistic care in the region and beyond.

For more information about the Center: LINK HERE