Rosaries given to Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital patients give a quiet reassurance you can feel in your hands, a small anchor in a storm of uncertainty.
(PRUnderground) January 6th, 2026
Many of them are simple — nothing fancy. Bright beads strung on soft cord. Yet the rosaries Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital gives offer something far greater: a quiet reassurance you can feel in your hands, a small anchor in a storm of uncertainty.
While the rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer tool, its comfort isn’t limited to Catholics. People of all faiths—or even no formal faith—often find peace in its steady rhythm, a structure that feels grounding when life feels unpredictable, spiritual care staff said.
Patients often welcome these rosaries, sometimes even when they’re not ready for a visit from a chaplain or a formal prayer. Holding one can feel like holding hope, they said. “People are so happy to get those rosaries, and they just love them,” said Carol Kelker, a long-time volunteer rosary maker.
For Kelker, rosary making began 11 years ago with an advertisement in the church bulletin, looking for volunteers Since then she has rarely missed a meeting volunteering at the Catholic hospital. Her presence is certainly valuable, as it takes almost an hour to create only two or three rosaries. Kelker said the joy they produce makes every knot worthwhile. Once a month, about six members gather. The atmosphere is peaceful. The time begins with a short prayer before the click of beads fills the air. Beginners are taught to make knots on a practice cord.
At home, the real work begins. Kelker makes about 20 additional rosaries between meetings, working for an hour a day, five days a week. When stores are low, she puts in overtime. She said it’s a quiet labor of love, and every knot carries a prayer for the person who will hold it. Month after month, the group’s hands craft about 70 rosaries—each one Kelker said is destined to bring comfort to someone in need. Extras don’t go to waste—they travel to churches and even missionaries overseas.
Today, the rosaries are in high demand and go directly to the hospital, where they are cherished and requested faster than the group can make them. They come in cheerful colors — deep reds and greens for Christmas, soft pinks and purples for Easter, even bold team colors — bringing a little brightness to a hospital room.
“Sometimes people are just having a bad day,” said Alan Amos, St. Mary’s manager of Mission Integration and Spiritual Care. “We can hand them a rosary, and it changes their entire outlook from the hospital stay. We could not do our job of supporting patients and their families without the rosary makers.”
Each rosary is a tactile reminder that healing is not only medical, but spiritual.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, over 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.
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