We are thrilled and honored to have Furness Burial Cloister receive this Preservation Alliance Award this year! The distinction means a great deal to us because, though it may seem purely about highlighting a noteworthy past, the project embodies who we are today, a community that breaks down barriers across time, change, and social difference to move forward. For the press’ interest in the project, see The Philadelphia Inquirer and Religion News Service articles about the Furness Burial Cloister.

This project thus brings together various dimensions of St. Stephen’s past, present and future that may interest you.

First of all, completed in early 2019, the project began soon after St. Stephen’s returned to church life with a radically new mission in late 2017. Here’s an account in Christian Century by its then-vicar, Father Peter Kountz. 

The Furness Burial Cloister project itself, a remodeling of the church’s transept built over its original cemetery, has a fascinating history and many steps that were made possible by various terrific specialists. Check out the full story at the Burial Cloister page.

The result is also just plain beautiful, moving, and inviting, online or in person. 

This year, Covid19 lockdown has offered a unique chance to use the Burial Cloister in new ways. It’s the setting for some of the filmed services posted online. 

That’s how we learned how special the space is for intimate worship, amidst some of the departed community and framed by the rest of the wonderful church. 

The Burial Cloister’s versatility unfolds with ever more thinking and use. See our discoveries and evolving thoughts in the post, The Shaping of St. Stephen’s Sense of Place.

So celebrate this public distinction and the remarkable professionals who made it happen with us!