“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
As Christians, we live in the hope and reality that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ – nothing in life; nothing in death. Still, one of the hardest things we face in this life is the death of a loved one.
The clergy, staff, and pastoral care team at St. David’s offer their caring support and expertise to individuals and families through those difficult days. Our love and care begins with helping to plan the service to celebrate your loved one’s life and continues afterward to help support you during the grieving process in one of our pastoral care classes.
Services may take place in either the Chapel or the Church and interment may take place before or after the liturgy in St. David’s Churchyard or another location of your choosing. St. David’s Hall (formerly Fellowship Hall) is available for simple receptions following the ceremony. Our pastoral care staff can suggest catering options if you are interested.
Prior to or at the time of death, please contact the Parish Office at 610-688-7947 and one of our clergy will be in contact with you immediately.
Guidelines for a Funeral & Memorial Service
It is customary in the Episcopal Church for the funeral pall to cover the casket during the service as everyone is treated equally in the sight of God. The casket remains closed through the service.
Burial & Memorial Service Fees
A full set of fees and explanations is included in our guide above. Below are some typical funeral fees.
Administrative Fee
The general administrative fee for worship preparation is $300.
Clergy Honorarium
A honorarium of $600 is given for clergy officiating the service.
Music
The Director of Music at the church will make arrangements for the music at the service. A soloist or instrumentalist is available, if desired, in addition to the organist. Please contact the Director of Music at the church office.
- Organist: $300
- Additional Musicians/Singers: $150-$300 per
Livestream
Services held in the Chapel may also be able to be livestreamed. Please check with the office for information. There is a fee of $150 for an A/V technician to run a staffed livestream with multiple camera angles. A single-camera stream, unstaffed, is also available.
Fees for Opening Graves
Single Depth: $1,700
Double Depth: $2,000
Cremations/Ash: $900
For emergency grave openings (less than 48 hours notice) there is an additional fee of $250.
Ground conditions may prohibit double depth interments in some sections.
Please check our planning guide above for information regarding room rentals for funeral receptions.
Planning a Memorial Service
Receptions
The St. David’s Hall or Harrison Room are available for receptions at a fee of $300 for a three hour period. Please call the church office at 610-688-7947 to make arrangements if you are interested.
The family is also welcome to have a catered reception. The choice of a caterer is entirely made by the family, who assumes all responsibility. Soft drinks, wine, and beer are allowed, n accordance with our alcohol policy. No hard alcohol permitted. Please advise the church office if a reception is planned.
Additional flowers arrangements in the narthex may be moved to the reception room.
Please see our guide for additional information on reception rooms and set up photos.
The family is responsible for the flower arrangements. All altar arrangements must be in St. David’s vases. Liners are available from the church to be taken and used by the florist. It is suggested there be no more than two large arrangements for the altar. All other flower arrangements will remain outside, flanking the door to the Church or in the Chapel narthex. If you need suggestions on where to purchase flowers, please call the church office at 610-688-7947
Photo from Valley Forge Flowers
You are welcome to choose a funeral director. Most of the local funeral directors have copies of our fees and are familiar with our policies. Any question about St. David’s fees or policies should be referred to the church office for clarification.
All monuments requested to be placed in the Graveyard must be in keeping with the general design and appearance of an historic colonial graveyard. (See “Graveyard Rules and Regulations” for more detail). A copy of the Rules and Regulation for the graveyard is available upon request. The following company has done most of the stonework in the graveyard:
610.622.0550
It is important that obituary notices be placed in the newspaper as soon as possible in order to inform friends of funeral arrangements. Your funeral director or the pastoral care committee can assist you.