Who We Are - Steeple Stories
August 31, 2005, was an exciting day at St. David's! The 4200 pound steeple was raised and placed on the new chapel. The cross was carried up in a basket attached to the crane, and welded to the top of the steeple. Several parishioners have written about their experiences of the steeple arriving at St. David's and being raised. Amy Dolan followed it as it made its way down Lancaster Avenue on a very big truck, Foster Mays watched it go by from his office window and Craig TenBroeck witnessed the steeple raising here at church.
Amy Dolan's Steeple Story
"The kids and I were coming home from the zoo on the Tuesday before Labor Day. We were with Molly Baker and her kids. When we were waiting at the light to exit the Blue Route onto Lancaster Avenue, this enormous tractor trailer 
went by carrying what looked like a huge drill bit. We played guessing games as to what it was while we waited for the green light, and then were able to pull up closer to the truck. That's when we realized it was a steeple! Well, we figured there was only one church in the area in need of a steeple ... ours! Lo and behold, when we got closer, we could see "Episcopal Church" written on one of the wooden brackets inside the base of the steeple.
We were all very excited to be following our new steeple down Lancaster Avenue that beautiful, end of summer afternoon. What are the chances that we'd be at the light right when our new steeple rolled past!"
Foster Mays' Steeple Story
"Over time I have learned to block out the sirens and periodic fender benders that occuroutside my office window on Lancaster Avenue. However, they often provide a visual diversion during prolonged phone calls. On the Tuesday before Labor Day, as I sat gazing out the window during a too long 
conversation wtih a vendor, I spied an enormous silver steeple trailing down the street. In my surprise, I blurted out something immodest to the effect of, 'There goes my steeple!' In response to the stunned silence on the other end of the line, I apologized and explained that I had just seen what I thought was the new steeple for St. David's Church roll by. Fortunately the vendor lives in the area, is familiar with St. David's and has visited my office, so he was quick to grasp the circumstances.
What I have reflected on since that time was the significance of my initial reaction. I suppose it was the manifestation of my heretofore unconscious sense of having a stake in the community of faith that is St. David's."
Craig TenBroeck's Steeple Story
"On Wednesday morning I got a phone call from Jill who was working at the receptionist desk at church. 'Craig, they are putting up the steeple. You should come over and see this!' I drove over right away and found our new steeple sitting on a truck in the driveway connected to a huge crane. Slowly they lifted it up so the workers could attach a skirt around the base. This took quite a while and several parishioners gathered around to watch and photograph it. At about 2:00 the work was finished and the lifting began. It took about five minutes to raise the steeple to the roof. It was quite an impressive procedure, lifting a two and a half ton aluminum cone so high and fitting it perfectly in place.
The next procedure was to fit the cross on the top of the steeple. I wondered why this wasn't done before the steeple was emplaced, but that was impossile since the crane needed to hook on where the cross was to go. A few of us walked over to inspect the cross and one of the riggers suggested that we should inscribe something on it. Buff got a magic marker and inscribed a couple of scripture verses and St. David's mission statement ('To know God in Jesus Christ and to make Him known to others') on the base of the cross where it mounts into the steeple and will never be seen again!
I wondered how they were going to fit it into the top of the steeple that was now about 80 feet in the air? They attached a basket to the crane and three riggers took the cross all the way up in it. One of them had his feet outside the basket and when it neared the steeple, he grabbed it with his legs and inserted the cross in place, making sure it faced in the right direction.
This was a very emotional moment for me. At that moment the sun broke through the clouds and I felt that I should shout "Hallelujah" or something ... but didn't. I stood there and looked up at the cross for a long time. When the riggers came down, I thanked them for making this such a memorable event."