Honoring your babies and your grief

Share Burials

Share families gather to celebrate, remember, and lovingly bury the sweet babies lost in the previous two months.

Burials are held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September, & November.

Honoring your babies and recognizing your grief, we invite you to join us at 2:30pm for a grave-side service at St. Joseph's New Catholic Cemetery (170 Charles Road, Lancaster, PA)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - How can we find out where our baby is buried?

A - Please call the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home at either 717-393-9661 or 717-560-5100. You will need to provide the month and year of loss, and the mother’s full name (including legal last name) at time of loss.

Q - Where in St Joseph's New Catholic Cemetery is the Share Burial held?

A - The burial site is located along the tree line located in the lower part of the cemetery directly downhill from the flag pole. Please park in the driveway areas within the cemetery.

Q - Is there a due date to have our baby included in the Share Burial?

A - If it is less than 2 weeks between the loss and the next Share Burial date, please contact your hospital to find out when your baby will be released to Snyder's Funeral Home.

Q - Is there a due date to submit a name for our baby for the Share Burial Event?

A - Please submit all desired information, any notes/letters, and/or mementos (small blanket, hat, or stuffed animal - no more than 6 inches tall, please) no later than noon on the Friday prior to the burial.

Q - How can we confirm our baby will be included in the next Share Burial?

A - Please contact your hospital to confirm that your baby will be included in the babies to be released to the funeral home for burial. Charles Snyder Funeral Home does not receive the list until the day prior to the burial.

Q: Is there a general place for me to go to celebrate the death of my child at the cemetery?

A: There is not a designated bench or area, but families are welcome to leave a bouquet of flowers, stuffed animal, or other small token at the cemetary. When they visit. The grounds crew of the cemetery goes through to clear off anything left a few days before the next burial, so if they’d like it to be there for a while, its best to wait until right after the most recent burial.

Planting flowers or anything that needs to be stuck into the ground is not permitted.

There is a memorial bench at the Greenfield designated

Q: What mementos are acceptable and will it be designated for my baby

A: Notes and small gifts are very welcome. The funeral directors do their best to keep notes and such with each baby, but often times they simply are left to try to fit all mementos in as they can. It’s really dependent upon the number of babies in that particular burial.

Stuffed animals 6 inches or smaller are best-suited.

When families bring in a standard-sized stuffed animal, it is more likely to be left out.

Upcoming Share Burials

Share Burial - May 2024
St. Joseph's New Catholic Cemetery
5/14/2024 2:30 PM