General Guidelines
The Pet Memorial Garden is located within the St Stephen’s Memorial Garden and consists of the statue of St Francis, a bench, and a concrete bowl. Note: Pet ashes may only be placed in the concrete bowl.
The rector or priest-in-charge of the Parish approves pet ashes, including but not limited to dogs, cats, birds, and fish, to be placed in the concrete bowl.
The rector, priest-in-charge, or other representative of the Parish must place the pet ashes in the concrete bowl.
The placement of pet ashes into the Pet Memorial Garden must be scheduled in advance.
Only pet ashes and sand provided by the Parish may be placed in the concrete bowl.
No individual plaques or markers will be placed in the Pet Memorial Garden. No memorial items may be left. The Parish reserves the right to remove and destroy any memorial items at any time.
The Parish may, at its discretion, relocate the concrete bowl and/or the pet ashes, in whole or in part, within the property of the Parish.
An online memorial will be kept on the parish website. The creation of a single graphic is included with your fee. The graphic will include a photo you provide, the name of the pet, birth and death dates, and your name. A digital copy of the graphic will be sent to you. The Parish makes no guarantees regarding how regularly the website will be updated. The Parish reserves the right to remove the online memorial at its discretion.
Liturgy Guidelines (if requested)
The liturgy will be led by a clergy or lay person from St Stephen’s.
The liturgy can not include music or eulogies.
The liturgy is modified from a resource produced by the Episcopal Church which you can find here.
Visiting Guidelines
Visitors can access the Pet Memorial Garden during regular office hours or by appointment.
Visitors are reminded that the Pet Memorial Garden is located within the St Stephen’s Memorial Garden and appropriate decorum is expected of all human and animal visitors.
Fee Schedule
Placement of pet ashes by St Stephen’s representative, with a short liturgy: $75
Placement of pet ashes by St Stephen’s representative, no liturgy: $35
Hall rentals for refreshments and/or privacy must be handled separately. Information on hall rental fees is available by request.