Forty Years of Spiritual Care
2025 marks two very important anniversaries in Spiritual Care: the 40th anniversary of the ECS Spiritual Care and Education Center and the 40th anniversary of Spiritual Care Week, a nationally-celebrated week to honor spiritual care givers and their healthcare partners.
Spiritual Care week will be celebrated from October 20th to October 25th in Utah’s HCA hospitals and senior living facilities where ECS chaplains serve. ECS Executive Director, Karen Pena remarked, “This five-day program honors and appreciates our dedicated hospital and senior living facility employees, celebrating their profound commitment to the healthcare profession and encouraging an ongoing investment in the well-being of others.”
Nationally Celebrated Spiritual Care Week
This year is a testament to four decades of dedicated service, compassionate presence, and unwavering commitment to the holistic well-being of our community. As we reflect on this rich heritage, we acknowledge the profound impact the Spiritual Care team has had on countless lives, offering comfort, guidance, and hope through times of joy and challenge.
Spiritual Care Week is not just a celebration of individual callings, but also a recognition of the enduring legacy of spiritual care within our hospitals and senior living facilities, and its vital role in upholding the dignity and spirit of every person who walks through our doors. thanks and affirmation, recognizing the invaluable role each person plays in providing holistic care to our patients and community.
To celebrate, ECS chaplains will uplift spirits, foster connection, and remind everyone of the powerful impact of spiritual care through give-aways and daily inspirational messages. focusing on collaboration, presence, and individual calling to the work, lasting legacies, and resilience.
Additionally, the chaplains will be celebrating individuals within their hospitals and facilities who have been sensitive and supportive partners in the work of spiritual care. These Spiritual Care Champions will be celebrated in Safety Huddles and other appropriate meetings throughout the week.
Daily Messages
Day 1 – The Heart of Healing
Healthcare is more than a profession—it’s a calling. Today we simply say: thank you. Thank you for bringing both skill and compassion, for showing up with courage and care. You remind us that healing begins in the human spirit.
Day 2 – The Power of Presence
The greatest healing gift is presence. To listen, to sit in silence, to smile after a long shift—these simple moments carry a power that words cannot match.
Day 3 – The Art of Collaboration
No one heals alone. Every patient’s journey touches countless hands and hearts—surgeons, aides, chaplains, and more. Working together, you show that healing is not just a task but a shared act of compassion.
Day 4 – Resilience and Renewal
This work demands much—time, empathy, endurance. May you find quiet amid chaos, joy amid sorrow, and light that renews your strength.
Day 5 – Enduring Legacy
This is more than work—it’s service to humanity. Your care plants hope and healing that outlast the hospital walls. Today, we celebrate each of you for making a lasting difference.
