'Freemasons For Dummies' Masonic News by Christopher Hodapp

Arrests in Pennsylvania and West Virginia In Separate Anti-Masonic, Anti-Semitic Attacks

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:07:00 +0000

Photo: WGAL-TV8

by Christopher Hodapp

A pair of disturbing cases involving threats against Freemasons have surfaced in Pennsylvania and West Virginia — both within the space of just a few days of each other.

In Pennsylvania, police say 37-year-old Joshua Albert Reisinger (photo) of Mountville carried out a bizarre weeks-long campaign against two Masonic halls involving dead animals, cryptic messages and other objects left outside the buildings. Reisinger has now also been charged in connection with antisemitic signs and an apparent threat against a congregant at a Lancaster-area synagogue.

According to Steelton Borough Police, officers began investigating a series of incidents at Paxton Lodge No. 16 (PHA) in Steelton between August 15 and September 20. Someone repeatedly left bizarre objects at or near the lodge that included balloons, spray-painted shoes, a doll bust, playing cards, feathers, candles, hair, written messages and riddles — along with the carcasses of a cat, crow, squirrel and raccoon. Several messages contained language that lodge members regarded as vague or implied threats, and police said the repeated incidents, particularly around scheduled lodge activities, caused increasing concern for members' safety.

According to their Facebook page, Paxton Lodge is the oldest Prince Hall subordinate Lodge in the state outside of Philadelphia.

Then police learned that Millersville Masonic Lodge No. 476, roughly 40 miles away, had been experiencing remarkably similar incidents. That lodge reportedly had been vandalized repeatedly during August, and Millersville police had already identified Reisinger as a suspect in that investigation. After representatives of the two lodges compared photographs and information, investigators connected the cases.

Reisinger was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Steelton and initially faced charges including terroristic threats, harassment, loitering and prowling at night, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and scattering rubbish.

But his story didn't end with the Masonic lodges.

Lancaster Township Police subsequently charged Reisinger with ethnic intimidation, terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct after incidents at Degel Israel Congregation, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue and school in Lancaster Township. Police allege that on September 19 and 20 Reisinger placed derogatory and antisemitic signs on the synagogue property, including one displaying a Nazi SS symbol. According to investigators, when a congregant began removing one of the signs, he spotted Reisinger sitting in a vehicle across the street. Reisinger allegedly formed his hand into the shape of a pistol, pointed it at the congregant and mimed shooting him. The congregant obtained the vehicle's registration number, helping police identify the suspect.

Reisinger's targets of both Masonic lodges and a Jewish synagogue seem to fall in line with the increase in both anti-semitic and anti-Masonic conspiracism being spread throughout social media.

Reisinger was arrested again on October 2. A district judge set bail at $100,000, which police said he was unable to post, and he was ordered held in the Lancaster County Prison pending a preliminary hearing.

Meanwhile, several hundred miles southwest in Buckhannon, West Virginia, another 37-year-old man was arrested following an explicitly anti-Masonic threat posted on Facebook. The Upshur County Sheriff's Office charged Justin Sayre (photo below) with threats of terrorist acts and making threats of a crime of violence after investigators say he participated in an online discussion concerning Flock automated license-plate-reader cameras.

Justin Sayre

According to the sheriff's report quoted by WDTV, Sayre called for the cameras to be destroyed and described local police officers as terrorists and "mules for the free masons up there at lodge 7," adding that "they need taken out too." "Lodge 7" appears to be a reference to Franklin Lodge No. 7 in Buckhannon, one of West Virginia's oldest Masonic lodges. Franklin Lodge has been part of the Buckhannon community since the nineteenth century and was among the original lodges involved in organizing the Grand Lodge of West Virginia after the Civil War.

Investigators said Sayre's Facebook account contained extensive anti-law-enforcement rhetoric and that the combination of those posts with the direct threat caused public alarm. He was being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on $35,000 cash-only bond following his arrest.

These two cases do not appear to be connected. But for Masonic organizations, the timing is difficult to ignore. Whether these latest incidents ultimately prove to have been driven by anti-Masonic conspiracy theories, personal grievances, generalized extremism or something else will be for investigators and courts to determine. But they join a steadily growing collection of incidents in which Masonic buildings and Freemasons have become targets for people who regard the fraternity not as an innocuous civic organization, but as some sinister enemy that must be confronted.

And that is no longer something lodge officers can simply laugh off.

Fall 2026 Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge October 24th

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 02:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

The Fall 2026 Symposium of the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge will be held next Saturday, Oct. 24th, in the Freemasons Cultural Center at the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown.

My friend and Brother Roger S. VanGorden, Past Grand Master of Indiana, will present “Masonic Renaissance: Kinda Like the Borgias.” Roger is currently the Active member for Indiana of the Scottish Rite Supreme Council NMJ, and the President of the Masonic Renewal Committee of the Conference of Grand Masters. If you've never heard Roger speak before, you're in for a thought-provoking, inspiring treat.

(I can honestly say that, Masonically, Roger made me what I am today. So blame him.)

Stephen Doan, Past Grand Master of California, will present “That House Not Made with Hands.” Stephen is an attorney and an international authority on Masonic jurisprudence. Back in 1975, at the age of 24, he was elected as one of California's youngest Worshipful Masters. His influence and leadership helped remake the Grand Lodge of California into a thriving, professionally-run organization that stands as an example for the rest of the Masonic world.

Registration will open at 8:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 9 a.m. A lunch (for a requested contribution of $20) will be served at noon, and the program will be completed by 2 p.m. All Masons (including Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts), their significant others and their guests are welcome to attend. Dress is business formal (jacket and tie for men, dress or business suit for ladies).

Pre-register at PaMasonicAcademy.org. If you pre-register and subsequently determine that you will be unable to attend, please have the Masonic courtesy to cancel your reservation by emailing amksecretary@pagrandlodge.org.

Can't be there in person? A live stream of the symposium will be available on the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania YouTube channel.

MSA Issues Disaster Relief Appeal for Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 01:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

In the wake of Hurricane Isaias last week, the Masonic Service Association of North America has just issued an official disaster relief appeal on behalf of the Grand Lodge F&AM of Florida:

Florida Hurricane Isaias
Disaster Relief Appeal
As of October 13, Hurricane Isaias caused extensive destruction as it moved northward through Florida. Approximately 5,000 Masons have been affected with many experiencing significant quality-of-life disruptions and personal property damage. Five Districts encompassing 39 Lodges were directly impacted, and nine Lodges sustained damage ranging from roof compromise to downed trees and related structural issues. As of today, power remains out for approximately 30,000 customers in the affected areas. Distribution points have been established in several locations, and the American Red Cross and FEMA are present at the sites with the most severe damage.

As Brothers of the Craft, let us remember that adversity only strengthens our international bonds. Let us also use this moment to reflect on the fragility of life and the importance of being prepared, not just physically, but also in terms of the support systems we offer to one another.

MW Grand Master Haskell R. Vest, JR. Grand Lodge of Florida, F. & A.M. has requested the MSANA issue a Disaster relief Appeal. The MSANA Board of Commissioner has endorsed this Request.

If you choose to give to this appeal, please forward any donations you feel appropriate to help our devastated Brothers and their families in this stricken grand jurisdiction to MSANA.

Please make checks payable to MSA Disaster Relief Appeal and mail to:
Masonic Service Association
813 1st Avenue SE, Suite 357
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

ONLINE DONATIONS : https://msana.com/current-appeals/
When remitting by check, please clearly mark that you designate the funds for the Florida Hurricane Isaias Relief Appeal.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Mark A. Tabbert, PM, 33°
Administrator
Masonic Service Association of North America
The Masonic Service Association is usually the best and most effective way to provide financial assistance to Masons in disaster-stricken areas.

If you are new to the fraternity or have never heard of the MSANA, it is a legitimate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. That is important to remember, especially if you, your company, or foundation are making a large donation and are in need of a tax deduction in return. The charitable arm of the Masonic Service Association was specifically established for the purpose of raising tax deductible donations, and to effectively distribute and account for the funds provided to Masons who receive assistance. Your entire donation will be sent to the affected jurisdiction. MSA deducts nothing for administrative expenses or expenses of any kind. Meaning if you donate $100.00, all $100.00 gets to the specific grand lodge issuing the appeal.

MSANA appeals are always done at the specific request of an affected Masonic jurisdiction when a catastrophe strikes. When donating through an MSA appeal you can be sure the money is officially going directly to the jurisdiction that requested it, which may not always be the case with a GoFundMe appeal or similar services. GoFundMe donations are not by law tax deductible because the IRS has no way of knowing how the money was raised, how it was spent, what may have been promised or given in return, and no way of peering into the accounting of whomever set it up. The IRS has very strict rules about tax deductible charities, and GoFundMe-type services don't even attempt to comply. And even if a legitimate lodge or grand lodge sets up such an appeal through GoFundMe, they can't issue a legit 501(c)(3) deduction to the donors unless they have their own charitable foundation or corporation that already does comply with the IRS.

The following message was posted on October 10th by Haskell R, Vest, Jr, Grand Master of Florida:
Message from Most Worshipful Haskell R. Vest, Jr.
Grand Master
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Florida

Dear Brethren, Ladies, Families, and Friends of the Craft:

As Hurricane Isaias has struck our beloved Florida Panhandle—making landfall near Destin and bringing high winds, storm surge, flooding, widespread power outages, and loss—we are reminded that even the strongest foundations can be tested by the forces of nature.

In this time of trial, I call upon every Brother, every family, and every Lodge in our Jurisdiction to practice the cardinal virtues of patience and compassion. Recovery will take time. Power may be slow to return in some areas, debris must be cleared, homes and property assessed, and hearts healed. Let us meet these challenges with the steady patience of Master Masons who understand that the work of rebuilding is done step by step, with care and purpose.

At the same time, let compassion guide our actions. Reach out to Brothers and their families who have been affected. Offer a hand of relief—whether through practical help, a listening ear, prayer, or coordinated assistance through your Lodge or the Masonic Outreach Program. Our principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth were never meant only for the Lodge room; they shine brightest when extended to those in need.

Remember our foundation stones: God, Family, and Fraternity. With God as our guide, family as our anchor, and the bonds of Fraternity as our strength, we will weather this storm together. My thoughts and prayers are especially with our Brothers in the Panhandle and all who have suffered loss or hardship.

Please check on one another. Stay safe. Follow official guidance. And know that the Grand Lodge of Florida stands ready to support our Craft and our communities in the days and weeks ahead.

May the Great Architect of the Universe watch over you, comfort the afflicted, and grant us all the patience and compassion needed to restore what has been tested.

Fraternally and with deepest concern,
Most Worshipful Haskell R. Vest, Jr.
Grand Master
“GOD, Family, Fraternity” “Masonry’s Foundation Stones”

Maryland Masons Buy Back Their Historic Baltimore Temple After 30 Years! Really!

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 20:43:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

According to a report Tuesday by Melody Simmons in the Baltimore Business Journal, the Grand Lodge of Maryland has just re-purchased its former downtown Baltimore headquarters, the spectacular 19th-century Masonic Temple at 225 North Charles Street, nearly 30 years after selling the building and moving out to the suburbs in Cockeysville.

As Robert Hayes said in the classic comedy, Airplane!, "It hit me like a thunderbolt! I asked the guy next to me to pinch me to see if I was dreaming!"

Maryland’s Freemasons have actually bought their old place back!

And that’s a damned remarkable development in an era when American Freemasonry seems to be shedding its historic buildings quicker than my wife's brother could dodge a dinner check.

Known for the last two decades as The Grand, the historic Victorian landmark has operated as an upscale wedding, banquet, conference and special events venue. But the property was recently placed into receivership following several changes in ownership and ongoing financial difficulties.

Construction began on the Baltimore Masonic Temple in 1866, and the building was completed in 1869. Designed originally by architect Edmund G. Lind, it became one of the grandest Masonic headquarters in America. Inside are extraordinary ceremonial and banquet rooms, with elaborate plasterwork, marble columns, stained glass, vaulted ceilings and decorative finishes reflecting the architectural tastes of the Victorian era. Rooms included Corinthian Hall, Oriental Hall, Marble Hall and Edinburgh Hall.

The building survived devastating fires in 1890 and 1908, with the Brethren rebuilding and improving it both times. The major reconstruction completed in 1909 gave the Temple much of the magnificent appearance it retains today.

For well over a century, it was the center of Maryland Freemasonry, hosting lodge meetings, grand lodge communications, banquets, ceremonies and countless other gatherings. During World War II, it even served as a Masonic Service Center for members of the military, providing overnight accommodations for thousands of servicemen passing through Baltimore.

But by the 1990s, like so many other American grand lodges, Maryland decided that a sprawling suburban headquarters would better serve its members than an aging and increasingly expensive downtown landmark. The fraternity moved to Cockeysville in 1994, and the new headquarters complex was completed in 1996. The old Baltimore Temple was sold in 1998 for a sickening $500,000.

At one point, the building was actually threatened with demolition to make way for a parking garage. Fortunately, preservation-minded developers rescued it, and an extensive rehabilitation transformed the old Temple into the Tremont Grand, which opened in 2005. It eventually became known simply as The Grand. In subsequent years, its spectacular interiors even appeared in film and television productions, including House of Cards and Veep.

According to the Business Journal, the Grand Lodge has paid $2.5 million for the property, or five times what they sold it for in 1998. That hasn't been officially verified in the press. But that price reflects inflation, along with major renovations and updates done to the venue by previous owners. By that yardstick, they got a steal.

Hodapp Climbs on Soapbox

Regular readers of this blog know that I’ve been beating this particular drum for years. Our buildings are not just pieces of costly real estate. All across America, Freemasons have been selling off some of the most architecturally significant fraternal buildings ever constructed. Some have found second lives as theaters, hotels, restaurants, apartments and event centers. Others have been stripped of their historic interiors, left to deteriorate, or simply demolished.

In too many cases, the fraternity has become so concerned with the cost of maintaining these great buildings that we have forgotten what they represent.

Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers didn’t build these temples merely to provide pretty rooms in which to hold stated meetings twice a month. They built them as lasting monuments to the importance of Freemasonry in their communities. They wanted their cities to know that Freemasonry was a permanent, respected, contributing part of civic life. And they frequently built them in the very hearts of their cities, where the public could see them every single day.

Of course, it’s easy for me to sit here and wax poetic about marble staircases, stained glass windows and soaring ceilings when somebody else has to pay the heating bills. I understand the enormous financial burden these buildings can represent, especially to a fraternity whose membership has declined dramatically from its mid-20th-century peak in 1958.

But I have long believed that abandoning our historic temples is often a short-term solution with very long-term consequences. Once we sell them, I can now say we ALMOST NEVER get them back. Maryland has just demonstrated that almost is the important word in that sentence.

Here in Indianapolis, we face many of the same challenges with our own magnificent 1909 Indianapolis Masonic Temple. It’s an enormous, architecturally significant building with beautiful lodge rooms, banquet and ballroom facilities, an 980-seat auditorium and a remarkable history of service to both Freemasonry and the public. Like so many of these great temples, its future depends upon finding ways to make it relevant, useful and financially sustainable in the 21st century.

I’ve long argued that the solution to preserving our Masonic landmarks isn’t simply to lock the doors, reduce the thermostat and hope the maintenance bills go away. We need to find imaginative new uses for these buildings, professionally manage them, welcome the public inside, create partnerships with our communities, and remember that our historic temples can be some of Freemasonry’s greatest tools for education, outreach and public awareness today, in the here and now. They cannot just be relics from the distant past. And a building that sits empty six days a week isn’t fulfilling its potential, no matter how magnificent the lodge room may be.

Maryland’s decision to buy back its historic Baltimore headquarters and continue its use as a public events facility suggests an encouraging approach. My understanding is that several lodges have already expressed interest in returning to their original downtown home there once the lodge rooms are ready for their meetings again.The building can generate income, serve the wider community, and still retain an active Masonic presence.

Naturally, the success of such an arrangement will depend upon the economics, the management, and the willingness of the fraternity to think beyond the traditional use of a Masonic building. But the fact that the Brethren of Maryland have taken this step at all is worth celebrating. And maybe, emulating.

Meanwhile, the Grand Lodge is going to keep its current headquarters in their admittedly magnificent modern facility in Cockeysville. When it was built in the 1990s, they spared little expense on that building and used their old downtown building's decor as inspiration for the new auditorium. It contains some of the most beautiful plaster and painting treatments I've seen in modern construction anywhere, so annual meetings will likely remain a fixture there. (Photos below)

So congratulations to the Grand Lodge of Maryland. I hope this turns out to be an enormous success, and that other Masonic jurisdictions around the country pay attention. After all, we spend an awful lot of time in our ritual talking about the importance of building. It’s great to see Brethren reclaiming a great one for a change.

Detroit Temple Centennial Gala This Saturday 10/17

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 18:56:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

Tickets are still available for Saturday night's Centennial Gala of the Detroit Masonic Temple. But act fast!

100 years ago, the Masons of Detroit dreamed very big indeed, and constructed what remains today as the largest Masonic Temple building in the world, with over a thousand rooms inside. That it has remained in the hands of the fraternity in the 21st century is itself nothing short of miraculous.

Come celebrate this milestone this Saturday, October 17th. Tickets are $100 and include dinner, drinks, dancing, a premium bar, and valet parking. To order, use the QR code in the flyers below. Or CLICK HERE.

https://www.themasonic.com/gala/

Happy Fraternal Day! (Wait. Wut?)

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 03:17:37 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

Your mail wasn't delivered today because it is Columbus Day, the federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas in 1492.

In 1892, America's only Hoosier President, Benjamin Harrison, encouraged nationwide celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage. But it wasn't until 1934 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt began issuing annual proclamations recognizing Columbus Day. Congress got around to establishing it as a federal holiday in 1968, and it was finally signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was eventually moved to the second Monday to in October in order to standardize three-day weekends for major national holidays.

In recent years, the second Monday in October has also become widely observed as Indigenous Peoples' Day, honoring the history, cultures, and contributions of America's original inhabitants. But if you happen to live in the state of Alabama, you've got a THIRD reason to celebrate today.

It's also Fraternal Day!

No, I haven't made that up. Alabama is apparently one of the few places left in America where somebody in the state legislature still remembers that fraternal organizations even exist. In fact, the state's official 2026 holiday calendar lists the second Monday in October as "Columbus Day & Fraternal Day & American Indian Heritage Day." Three holidays for the price of one.

That there is a rare example of some pretty efficient government thinking.

Fraternal Day isn't some recent invention dreamed up by a bored Shriner looking for another excuse to wear a fez in public and drag his little car out of the garage for the inevitable parade. Alabama established Fraternal Day way back on August 28, 1915, originally designating the second Thursday in October to recognize the contributions of fraternal organizations. It actually predated the establishment of Columbus Day as a federal holiday.

Think about that for a moment. In 1915, the Golden Age of Fraternalism was in full swing and America was absolutely swimming in fraternal organizations. Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Moose, Eagles, Woodmen of the World, and almost a thousand other groups with their own elaborate rituals, mysterious passwords, impressive hats, and enough jeweled collars, swords, and embroidered aprons to keep the nation's regalia manufacturers in business for generations.

Fraternal groups were so numerous and widespread that a National Fraternal Congress of America was established at Chicago in 1913 as an umbrella organization to protect the interests of fraternalism and act as lobbyists in Washington DC. It's still around today.

And they weren't just social clubs. These organizations provided charitable assistance, life insurance, burial benefits, care for widows and orphans, hospitals, retirement homes, and a sense of community and belonging long before government programs took on many of those responsibilities.

And Alabama's legislators thought all of that was important enough to deserve a holiday.

There was even an effort in 1915 to establish a National Fraternal Day. Texas Senator Morris Sheppard introduced legislation proposing October 27th as a federal holiday. Unfortunately, that idea went nowhere. Apparently, Congress decided the American people already had enough holidays involving picnics, ceremonial speeches, parades, drill teams, and men wearing funny headgear.

Think of it: had Sheppard's fellow Texan Lyndon Johnson ever gone beyond just his Entered Apprentice degree in Johnson City Lodge No. 561 in 1937, he might have pushed for a national Fraternal Day holiday after becoming president.

We can but dream.

That's a damned shame, because Americans could stand to remember (or discover) just how important fraternal groups have been to the development of this country. Maybe we could push our legislators to resurrect the idea nationally, or state by state. After all, it costs nothing.

Of course, Fraternal Day doesn't mean Alabama's Masons get an extra day off from work. State offices are closed, but since it shares its date with Columbus Day, nobody gets to stack the holidays and take Tuesday off as well.

Still, it's a charming little historical survivor from an era when fraternalism was woven deeply into American civic life, and the contributions of our lodges and other organizations were considered worthy of statewide recognition.

Since it is also Columbus Day, there's a fraternal connection to that holiday, too. When Father Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882, he deliberately named the new Catholic fraternal organization after Christopher Columbus. At a time when anti-Catholic prejudice was widespread in America, Columbus was celebrated as a national hero, and McGivney wanted to remind his fellow Americans that Catholics had played an important role in the nation's history and could be just as patriotic as anybody else. The Knights went on to become one of America's largest and most influential fraternal organizations, and were instrumental in promoting Columbus Day as a national observance. So there's something rather fitting about Columbus Day and Fraternal Day sharing the same calendar square in Alabama. Somewhere, Father McGivney must be smiling at that little coincidence (even if he would have been a bit unnerved by the presence of us Freemasons for the occasion).

So, to all our Brethren in Alabama, Happy Fraternal Day! Wear your square and compasses proudly. Call an old Brother you haven't seen in a while. Visit a lodge. Do something charitable for somebody who needs a hand. Maybe even invite a prospective member to dinner. And if you happen to find yourself in a restaurant tonight, raise a glass to the Masons, Knights, Prophets, Odd Fellows, Woodmen, Foresters, Red Men, Hibernians, Pythians, Eagles, Elks, Owls, Mooses, Macabees, Cincinnatis, Hoo-Hoos, and all the other fraternal organizations that have helped build American communities over the last three centuries.

Just don't expect the waiter to know what the hell you're celebrating. (Practice your elevator speech - now's your chance to explain it to him.)

Happy Fraternal Day, Brethren!

Road Trip: Speaking in Connecticut and Pennsylvania in October

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 04:46:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

Alice and I have packed up our canine miscreants and a couple of cases of books to head for the East Coast over the next couple of weeks in the Airstream.

First up, this coming Thursday, October 1st, I'll be speaking at Sequin Level Lodge 140 in Newington, Connecticut (near Hartford) for what promises to be a fantastic Festive Board. The good news is that dinner will be spectacular (click the flyer below). The bad news is that you have to listen to me in order to get it.

The evening begins at 6:30PM and Secretary Larry Baker assures me the gourmet dinner will more than compensate for whatever happens after they hand me a microphone.

The price for this event is a paltry $50. Only 80 seats are available, and I don't know where ticket sales stand. Reservation cutoff is Monday, but click the link to check availability: https://lodgelocator.com/sequin-level-140/page/payments-tickets

Sequin-Level Lodge 140 is located at 80 Walsh Avenue in Newington.

I've previously spoken at a several lodges in Connecticut over the years, so you'd think they'd know better by now.

The following Tuesday, October 6th I'll be speaking at historic Philadelphia Lodge 2 in the spectacular Philadelphia Masonic Temple. (Lodge No. 2 was one of the first Masonic lodges chartered by England in the American colonies in 1758 - they just celebrated the 268th anniversary of their founding.)

I’ll leave it to the assembled crowd to decide whether my presentation is a proper use of a wind instrument or not.

The Temple is located in downtown Philadelphia at 1 N. Broad Street.

Before the meeting, dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Iron Hill Brewery located downtown at 1150 Market Street. There is no cost to attend dinner, but brethren are encouraged to make a nominal donation to the Lodge No. 2 Almoner’s Fund in lieu of payment. If you will be joining us for dinner, you will need to sign up by next Monday, October 5th by clicking HERE and fill out the online form.

Meanwhile, if you pass us on I-80 Eastbound (a red SUV with Indiana plates hauling 30-feet of aluminum shaped like a big silver Tylenol), give us a honk.

The dogs will bark, I'll wake up, and wave...

Texas Man Sentenced to Life for Masonic Lodge Murder

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:22:43 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

NOTE: This story has been corrected. The KREG-TV5 news report mistakenly said that the Llano Grande Lodge 1173 building in Westlaco had been destroyed by Diaz's arson attack in 2023. It was damaged, but not destroyed. My apologies for the error. CH

Yesterday, after three years of investigations and courtroom proceedings, Julio Diaz was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Freemason Robert Wise. WBro. Wise, 55, was shot at point-blank range and killed by Diaz outside McAllen Lodge 1110 in July 2023. He shot a video of the killing and posted it on his social media page.

Previously, Diaz set fire to the Masonic lodge buildings in McAllen in 2022, and Weslaco (located about 20 miles east) on February 20, 2023. He was sentenced to two additional 50 years terms for each of those arson convictions, running concurrently.

Brother Robert Wise, 55,

(Photos: McAllen Lodge 1110 Facebook page)

When he was arrested, Diaz told investigators that he believed Masons to be "devil worshiping Illuminatists." A Facebook commenter said Diaz had previously posted anti-Masonic comments on social media, claiming the lodge "had put a curse on him."

WBro. Wise's widow was given the opportunity in court to confront Diaz for the first time.

From the report by KRGV-TV5:

"My husband Robert was not, was not your choice to take. That was not your choice. I had just seen him 15 minutes before you shot him. Yeah, you go ahead and yawn," Sanchez said.

She then turned to Diaz's mother, the one person who, like her, sat through the case from the other side of the courtroom. Sanchez told Diaz she had thought about what his actions had done to his mother too.

Diaz answered back.

"And she's the only one you didn't think about of who's going to take care of her," Sanchez said.

"I did think of her," Diaz said.

"No, you didn't," Sanchez said.

“She's very proud of you. You think you're very smart. Look at where you're at now," Sanchez said.

"Perfect," Diaz said.
KRGV-TV reports Diaz will remain in jail for several weeks before transfer to state prison. His attorney is awaiting a court-ordered neurological report and may seek a new trial or raise the issue of Diaz' mental health on appeal. But for now, he's behind bars.

Ever since the COVID lockdowns, there has been an alarming increase throughout the U.S. and Canada in incidents of vandalism and arson against Masonic halls by admitted paranoid anti-Masonic extremists and conspiracists. Anti-Masonic sentiments online seem to be on the rise, with a greater sense of distrust and hate directed at the fraternity.

We must all be extremely cautious regarding security in and around our buildings going forward. That means monitored surveillance cameras, locked outer doors during events, and vigilant Tylers who probably shouldn't be on the lodge room side of the door during meetings, I'm sad to say.

Equally important, law enforcement officials need to be informed by us every time there are threats or acts of vandalism and violence directed at us – police departments and individual officers can't be automatically expected to realize that anti-Masonic hatred is a very real syndrome lurking out in the general population.

Catholics, Coffins and the Grand Orient: the Old Church War Is Hot As Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:47:28 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

If you you thought the Catholic Church and Freemasonry had finally stopped firing cannonballs at each other over the battlements, Europe has supplied a couple of reminders that this particular 300-year-old family quarrel isn't over. Not by a long shot.

In August, Catholic bishops in Italy refused church funeral rites for two prominent Freemasons, while a French archbishop conducted Catholic funeral ceremonies for another very public Mason. Then, just to make the whole thing even more incendiary, the newly elected Grand Master of France's largest — but irregular and unrecognized by mainstream Anglo-American Freemasonry — Masonic obedience announced that private schools operating outside the French government's contract educational system "have no place in the Republic."

Naturally, Catholic commentators promptly announced that the Freemasons had declared war on Catholic schools.

Well...sort of.

NO MASS FOR YOU

In early August, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Pope Leo XIV's Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, blocked the scheduled Catholic funeral Mass for 88-year-old classical guitarist Bruno Battisti D'Amario. (If you've ever listened to the classic soundtrack to the 60's spaghetti Western The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, you've heard his amazing guitar work.)

D'Amario was not just some obscure lodge member who'd paid dues for six months back in 1973 and forgotten about it. He had been an important figure in the regular, widely recognized Grand Orient of Italy (Grande Oriente d'Italia), and they publicly memorialized him as a prominent Masonic leader following his death. He had founded a lodge in Rome, served in senior positions within the grand lodge, and was identified in press accounts as a 33° Mason.

Unfortunately for his family, his Masonic obituary apparently tipped off Catholic authorities.

The funeral had already been scheduled for August 7th at Santa Maria in Montesanto — Rome's famous "Artists' Church" on the Piazza del Popolo — when church officials learned of D'Amario's Masonic career. The matter worked its way up the ecclesiastical food chain to Cardinal Reina, who consulted the diocesan legal office and refused permission for the funeral Mass.

A priest was permitted to pray privately with the family, and church officials stressed that Masses could still be offered later for the repose of D'Amario's soul. But no public Catholic funeral Mass.

One day later, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo did essentially the same thing.

This time, the deceased was 73-year-old Mario Tarducci, who had served as Worshipful Master of a lodge near Bordighera. His Catholic funeral was already scheduled at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Camporosso when Suetta learned of Tarducci's public Masonic membership and cancelled the ecclesiastical funeral rites.

Suetta subsequently issued guidelines making his position quite explicit: a Catholic who knowingly remains a Freemason and dies without some indication of repentance or renunciation can be denied a Catholic funeral.

This isn't something the bishops just made up last month.

Canon 1184 of the Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law says ecclesiastical funerals must be denied, unless there was some sign of repentance before death, to several categories of people — including "other manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful." Canon 1185 adds that anyone excluded from ecclesiastical funeral rites must also be denied a funeral Mass.

In other words, Rome's position on Freemasonry remains exactly what it has officially been since the 18th century.

When the revised Code of Canon Law appeared in 1983 without specifically naming Freemasonry, plenty of Catholics and Masons assumed the old prohibition had quietly disappeared. But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — the future Pope Benedict XVI — promptly issued the Vatican's Declaration on Masonic Associations, approved by Pope John Paul II. It stated that the Church's negative judgment about Freemasonry remained unchanged because Masonic principles were considered "irreconcilable" with Catholic doctrine. Catholics who knowingly join Masonic associations, it said, are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.

Pope Francis' Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reaffirmed that position yet again in 2023 after a bishop in the Philippines asked what he was supposed to do about the growing number of Catholic Freemasons in his diocese.

So, whatever some individual priests may have told Catholic Masons over the years, officially the Vatican has never changed its mind.

BUT THEN CAME FRANCE

Two weeks after the Italian funeral cancellations came a much different scene in France.

François Patriat, 83, a longtime French senator, former government minister, former president of the Burgundy regional council and close political ally of President Emmanuel Macron, died August 19th following a bicycle accident. Patriat was also publicly known as a Freemason.

Nevertheless, on August 25th Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon personally presided over Patriat's Catholic funeral ceremony at the historic Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame in Semur-en-Auxois. Macron attended and delivered a eulogy.

Initial news accounts repeatedly called the service a funeral Mass, which made the contrast with Italy look even more dramatic.

Subsequent reporting, however, says the Diocese of Dijon confirmed that no Eucharistic Mass was actually celebrated. Hérouard presided over Catholic funeral rites and blessed the deceased, but there was no celebration of the Eucharist.

That's a fairly important distinction. It also demonstrates the considerable pastoral discretion involved in these cases. Canon law specifically says that when there is doubt, the local bishop is to be consulted and his judgment followed.

Still, to Catholic traditionalists, the optics were startling: two known Freemasons denied Catholic funerals in Italy, followed within weeks by an archbishop presiding over the very public church funeral of another Freemason in France with the President of the Republic sitting in the pews.

Cue the outrage machine.

The rabidly anti-Masonic (and noisome) militant crowd of fundamentalist Catholics immediately lit up their internet sites with indignant denunciations of "The Masons."

MEANWHILE, THE GRAND ORIENT PICKS A FIGHT

As if all of this wasn't enough to revive memories of Clement XII and his 1738 papal bull In Eminenti Apostolatus, another Masons-vs-Catholicism story erupted almost simultaneously.

On August 28th, Guillaume Trichard was elected Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France (GOdF) at its 161st annual Convent in Bordeaux. Trichard previously served as Grand Master in 2023-24.

If you're new to this subject, an important reminder is necessary here.

The Grand Orient de France (GOdF) is the largest Masonic body in France, but it is not recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England or by mainstream American grand lodges. The most widely recognized, regular Masonic body in France is the Grande Loge Nationale Française. The GOdF belongs to the liberal or "adogmatic" branch of Continental Freemasonry. It permits atheists, admits women, has long been aggressively secularist, becomes openly involved in political and social controversies, and has historically played an enormous role in France's battles over laïcité — the peculiarly French concept of absolute strict separation between religion and the state.

In other words, when the Grand Orient de France announces a public policy campaign, don't confuse it with your local Masonic lodge selling pancakes to buy a new roof for the Little League concession stand.

Unfortunately for the much wider world of regular, recognized Masonic bodies, the GOdF more often than not says or does things that affirm many of the crazier accusations leveled at "the Freemasons." There is a long history of the Grand Orient taking a public stand against Catholic institutions. Which brings us to current events.

Upon taking office, Grand Master Trichard announced an aggressively public agenda, calling for the Grand Orient's approximately 1,400 lodges to conduct at least one public action before next year's Convent (annual communication) — including lectures, exhibitions, charitable activities and even "intervention in a school or university" — all with the stated goal of bringing Grand Orient values into the public square.

Then Trichard gave an interview to Le Figaro. And that's when things got hot.

Trichard announced that the GOdF would shortly issue a white paper on "the school of the Republic." Although he said he did not intend to reopen the entire debate between private and public education, he added: "I consider that private schools outside contract have no place in the Republic."

His explanation was that schools operating hors contrat — outside the French state's contractual education system — do not have a "contract with the indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic," which he said creates the possibility of abuses.

In response, Catholic publications promptly accused the Grand Orient of launching an offensive against Catholic education. More than one source blurted the headline, "Freemasons Declare War On Catholic Schools!"

Well, not exactly.

Trichard did not say, "Catholic schools have no place in France," and internet graphics circulating afterward that claimed he wanted to "ban the freedom of Christian schools" appear to have exaggerated or altered what he actually said. Imagine that.

France's hors contrat schools are not exclusively Catholic. They include Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and other alternative educational institutions. Most French Catholic schools operate under contract with the state, so Trichard's remarks do not amount to a proposal to abolish Catholic education in France.Still, what he actually said is controversial enough without gussying it up.

These are legal private schools, subject to state inspections and various national education requirements. France's Federation of Parents of Independent Schools blasted Trichard's remarks, arguing that freedom of education is itself protected under French law and that operating outside a government contract does not place a school outside the Republic.

Supporters of Trichard fired right back. A coalition of secularist organizations issued a statement backing him and declaring that "the only free school is the secular school."

So no, the Grand Orient de France has not actually "declared war on Catholic schools."

But Trichard has clearly decided to officially drag the Grand Orient into France's school wars. And for anyone who knows French Masonic history, that should produce a powerful sensation of déjà vu.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

The irony in all this is tough to miss.

In Italy, Catholic bishops are dusting off rules barring practicing Freemasons from Catholic funeral rites because Masonry is supposedly incompatible with Catholicism.

At almost precisely the same moment, France's largest Masonic organization is loudly reasserting the militant secularism that helped convince generations of Catholic churchmen that Freemasonry really was incompatible with Catholicism in the first place.

And around we go.

It does bear repeating that an estimated 25% of American and European Freemasons regard themselves as Catholics. If you accept the wild-guess figure that there are about 1 million American Masons and perhaps 4-5 million Freemasons in the world these days, there could be 250,000 Catholic Masons in this country, and a million or so globally. And they disagree with the official policy of the Church because they know full well that regular, recognized Freemasonry does not conflict with Church theology in any way. It's not the first time that a vast crowd of Catholics believed that the Church was wrong in its condemnation of its own faithful flock, and they simply ignore it.

Or to paraphrase the old Chinese saying, Heaven is high and the Pope is far away.

For American Freemasons, especially, it is worth remembering that "Freemasonry" does not mean precisely the same thing everywhere in the world. The politically active, secularist Grand Orient tradition in France is historically and philosophically quite different from the regular Anglo-American Masonic tradition. Unfortunately, the enemies of Freemasonry routinely stuff every Masonic organization on the planet into the same sack. The Catholic Church's rules certainly don't distinguish between them.

Which leaves us approximately where Pope Clement XII and the Freemasons found themselves in 1738.

Only now everybody has social media.

My Brazilian Trip Was Cancelled By the A.I. Robots

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 17:30:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

I was supposed to be in Belo Horizonte, Brazil right about now, addressing the Conferência Brasileira de Estudos de Maçonaria (Brazilian Conference of Masonic Studies). But I'm not there, thanks to American Airlines.

If you fly on American and haven't experienced its automated AI rebooking system Aura, don't worry. You will.

I was supposed to fly out Thursday at 7:00pm, which means leaving the house at 4:00pm. At 3:00, I began getting conflicting automated emails telling me my Indy to Miami flight was running too late to make my 50 minute Miami connection to São Paulo, and I got automatically rebooked Friday through JFK to arrive A DAY LATE, almost at the end of the conference.

Then, 30 minutes later, it changed its mind again and booked me through DFW Friday.

An hour later, the AI bot changed its mind once more, and it re-booked me on FRIDAY'S Indy-Miami flight, once again with the same short 50 minute connection. For an international connection, that's cutting it way too close.

I tried calling customer service to try and arrange flying to Miami any way I could Thursday evening, and staying overnight so I wouldn't have any problem's making Friday's San Paolo flight, but the wait time to speak to a human was an estimated 3-hour wait, which meant all possible flights out of Indy would be gone for the night before I could actually get through to a person.

The conference organizers were disappointed, but assured me there was still time to get there before things totally shut down Saturday night. I could step off the plane at 4:15pm, drive to the hotel, and give my talk before 6:00pm, then fly back home Sunday. Not ideal, but still doable.

At 3:50pm Friday as I was loading the car to go to the airport, I got an email from American saying, once again, today’s Indy to Miami flight was running too late to connect, and Aura RE-re-booked me AGAIN back though JFK TOMORROW, arriving SUNDAY, AFTER the conference ends.

So my whole trip is cancelled.

This is the second trip of mine this year that American's automated system has booked and re-booked me right out of any chance of arriving in time for an event.

American now has the worst record among US airlines for these kinds of arbitrary computer - made decisions, and few human agents are left and are generally prevented from trying to change reservations manually.

And no, it didn't calm me down for a customer service rep to say, "There's nothing I can do," followed by telling me to "Have a blessed day." It isn't blessed, it's ruined.

Worst is that Brother Kennyo Ismail, who translated Freemasons For Dummies into Brazilian Portuguese (Maçonaria Para Leigos) a couple of years ago, had to pay the Brazilian publisher to make a special print run of a box of the books anticipating me signing them, and now he’s stuck with them.

Last night I recorded my speech and they'll play it today. The conference certainly wasn't ruined without the personal presence of my cherubic good looks—they had six other excellent presenters and I'm sure attendees will go home happy. But that's not really the point. As more and more employees get fired by these companies and their jobs are given to the AI bots with no human interaction, these situations are already commonplace, and it's only going to get worse. We all thought it was bad when customer support lines were answered by distant, tinny-voiced women in Malaysia who claimed they really were named Betty, who were "very, very, very sorry that we were having these problems."

From now on, we'll look on those halcyon days as paradise.

I was honored and gratified to have been invited to speak at the conference this year, and if the organizers so desire, I promise I will attend their next scheduled event. (After hearing my recorded presentation this afternoon, they may consider themselves lucky that I didn't get there in person...)

Next year, I'll book myself to arrive two weeks before the conference. That way I might actually get there on time.

Meanwhile, I have upcoming dates in Connecticut and Pennsylvania in October. I know better now. Instead of flying, I'll pack up Alice, a moderate pile of books, and our canine companions, and drag the Airstream to the East Coast.

That way I'll have half a chance of making it on time.

Masonic Education Day in Indianapolis: October 3

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:16:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

I realize this blog has been entirely too Indiana-centric in recent months, but nobody tells me anything anymore and I have to pick up news from the tough kids on the street. Still and all, we've had a lot going on here in the Hoosier state on the Masonic front, so I won't apologize for it.

Having said that, the Grand Lodge of Indiana will be holding a Masonic Education Day on Saturday, October 3rd at the Indianapolis Masonic Temple/Indiana Freemasons Hall, from 8:00AM until 5:00PM.

The keynote presentation will be given by Masonic author and sage S. Brent Morris, Ph.D., who will present The Folger Manuscript, an exploration of Robert Benjamin Folger's 1826 encrypted record of Masonic ritual and its significance in Masonic history. If you haven't read his book, Committed to the Flames, co-written with Art DeHoyos, I highly recommend it, as it details the story and significance of this rare surviving document from the earliest days of what became the Scottish Rite in the United States.

The manuscript is written in a unique cipher code, and is an English translation of French Rectified Rite blue lodge degrees of Apprentice, Fellow, Master Mason, plus three more haute grades of Scottish Master, Squire Novice, and Knight Beneficent of the Holy City. Brent's background as a former cryptographer for the National Security Agency has made him uniquely qualified to peer into this seemingly indecipherable collection of shapes and symbols and successfully crack Folger's code.

From the website:

The day will feature sessions on creating meaningful candidate experiences, implementing the Grand Master's Blueprint Project, Masonic symbolism, and innovative ideas from fellow Indiana Masons through a series of short-form MED Talks. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore the Lodge Showcase, highlighting different approaches to lodge culture, traditions, and environment. Coffee, pastries will be provided.

More speakers will be announced soon.

Registration is free, and an optional boxed lunch is available for $20 (Regardless, please register online so organizers can plan accordingly).

The Temple is located in downtown Indianapolis at 525 N. Illinois Street, just south of the Scottish Rite Cathedral's parking lot.

National 'Brethren In Unity 9/11 Memorial' in Indianapolis Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 23:40:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

On Friday, September 11th, the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral will be the site of an extraordinary 9/11 Memorial service. All four of the Supreme Commanders of the Scottish Rite Supreme Councils of the United States will join together on the same stage with our city's first responders, veterans, and Freemasons to present a special donation to the Tunnel To Towers Foundation as part of the Scottish Rite Brethren in Unity 2026 Campaign.

To donate to this campaign, visit the website HERE: https://dogood.t2t.org/campaign/scottish-rite-freemasonry-brethren-in-unity-2026/c782074

DONATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCEPTED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH

Doors to the Cathedral will open at 8:00AM Friday and the program will begin at 8:45AM:

Doors Open - Guests Arrive
Tunnel to Towers Video
Processional of Sovereign Grand Commanders
Welcome by Dr. Eugene Anderson
Pledge of Allegiance by Rear Admiral William G. Sizemore II, USN (Ret.)
National Anthem by Randolph Seipel

Fireman's Bell Ringing - Troy Clements
Invocation by Dr. Kenneth Allen
Remarks on Scottish Rite Unity and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Remarks — Brigadier General Jon M. Taylor, Alabama Air National Guard
III. Walter F. Wheeler, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA
III. Melvin J. Bazemore, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, USA
III. Corey D. Hawkins, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliation, USA
Ill. James D. Cole, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Supreme Council, Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA
Presentation of Check to Troy Clements and Team
Closing Remarks -Lt. Phil Burton, Court Operations & Security-Judicial Enforcement Division, Marion County Sheriff's Office
Closing Benediction - Chaplain (MAJ Kelly Mathis, FTS Chaplain 219th EN BDE-Traditional
Recessional of the Sovereign Grand Commanders

If you are intending to attend in person, veterans, active service persons and responders are asked to dress in uniform, if possible, and Masons are requested to dress in suits and ties. There is free parking at the Cathedral.

Indianapolis Masonic Buildings Vandalized

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:30:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

Both the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple/Freemasons Hall were vandalized this morning by a man wielding a hammer and intent on covering them with graffiti.

Lynn Andrew Jackson was taken into custody Monday

(Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department photo)

As of this writing, Lynn Andrew Jackson, 29, was in police custody, charged with misdemeanor vandalism, but authorities are inexplicably resisting charging him with a hate crime.

A little after 10:00AM, Jackson began spray-painting bizarre messages and an unusual, unidentified symbol on limestone walls and heavy wooden doors on the west, north and east sides of the landmark Scottish Rite Cathedral. At the Meridian Street main entry, he oainted messages and took a hammer to one of the Cathedral's many magnificent stained glass windows.

At one point, he attempted to enter the building and asked to take a tour inside, but was turned away by the security guard, because the Cathedral doesn't offer Monday tours. He headed south, pausing to hurl his hammer through a second stained glass window that depicts the 16th degree.

Cathedral superintendent Tom Fallis told the press that the window damage alone could cost $50,000 apiece to repair.

Crossing North Street, he continued his nonsensical graffiti spree on the cornerstone of the 1909 Indianapolis Masonic Temple and Freemasons Hall, and all along the east wall facing the Pierson Street alley.

By an unfortunate set of circumstances, the south door of the Temple had been momentarily propped open for a package delivery, and Jackson was able to enter the south entry hall, where he continued spray-painting antique photos, marble wall panels and more. In the lobby he sprayed a statue and the front of the welcome desk before being confronted by the security officer.

He had expressed his intent to get to the 5th floor Masonic Library & Museum.

When the guard asked what his reason was for vandalizing the building, he yelled, 'All Masons must die and be thrown into a grave!' while adding that his damage didn't matter, because the 'Masons have millions to fix it with.'

Bizarrely enough, he voluntarily exited the building, sat down on the south steps, and calmly waited for police to arrive, saying he had accomplished what he set out to do. He was taken into custody and booked for 'misdemeanor vandalism under $50,000' and 'intimidation.'

Despite his 'Masons must die!' threat, there is no hate crime charge as of yet, and it doesn't sound like police have any inclination to investigate it as such, despite the increase in anti-Masonic attacks all around the world over the last few years. I've reported on these attacks many times now, but apparently we don't fall into a neat little protected class authorities commonly cite. The English press keep alleging that police departments are filled with secret Freemasons. If that were really true, these criminals would be charged with hate crimes without question.

Meanwhile, it seems the anti-Masonic conspiracy theories are exponentially increasing in number, intensity, and looniness. As I said in one interview with a TV station today, the Internet is a megaphone for bad ideas. Before we spoke to the press today, our Temple board had a brief meeting to discuss whether we should go public with the story or not. By going on TV, we risk inspiring copycats. But remaining silent can be even more dangerous because the public and our own members need to be aware that Freemasons are under increasing threats of vandalism, and much worse. None of us want to scare the public or our own members away from attending lodge functions. But we have got to raise awareness so that both our members and our neighbors can remain vigilant. And we need to remind our communities that we are alive and well and we remain committed to them. Our goal is to improve society by improving one man at a time through brotherhood, mentoring and enduring friendships. And we are one of the very few sanctuaries where men of every race, religion, political persuasion, economic, and educational level can sit down together in harmony and share what we have in common. In a world that seems hell bent on keeping us all divided and at each other‘s throats, we still believe in the mission of making good men into better ones.

Cost of the damage to our two buildings is not yet known. Unfortunately, stronger security measures will have to be enforced, which absolutely flies in the face of our desire to welcome the public in and tell the story of Freemasonry to as many people as we can. Our magnificent buildings were designed from the very start to be standing beacons of our fraternity to our communities, and none of us want to be forced to lock them down and make them into fortresses. Sadly, there is no easy answer.

Many people have asked how to help financially. By permission of Grand Master John Bridegroom, the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana has set up a donation link to a special fund that will be evenly shared between the Scottish Rite Cathedral Foundation and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple, specifically for the restoration of the damage caused by this unfortunate incident. Use the QR code below to donate:

Meanwhile, our local news coverage was widespread this evening. The Indianapolis Star sent a reporter, as did every TV station and news radio WIBC-FM93. Just because I want to log them all in one place for my own future reference, I'll link to them all below.

Local press interviews Eric Vermeulen, Director of the Masonic Home Foundation

WIBC-FM 93

An Indianapolis Masonic site was vandalized Monday morning. A hammer was thrown through stained glass at the Scottish Rite before the same man spray-painted the Masonic Museum & Library and yelled, “All Freemasons should die.”
IMPD arrested the man on vandalism and intimidation… pic.twitter.com/XzXKRD7CWt
— 93 WIBC Indianapolis (@93wibc) August 31, 2026

WXIN Fox59

WTHR-13

WISH-TV8

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

See vandalism at Indianapolis Masonic Temple, Scottish Rite Cathedral

Chartering Mahrage Grotto in Fishers, Indiana This Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:21:11 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

This weekend, we'll have a very special occasion in the far-flung northeastern suburbs of Indianapolis. The formation of a new Masonic-related local chapter of any kind is nowhere near as commonplace as it used to be, so it's a very big deal to announce the formation of Mahrage Grotto on Saturday, August 29th!

Hamilton County is the fastest growing community in the country right now, being home to the towns of Carmel and Fishers (recently named the #1 and #2 Best Cities in America to Live by US News & World Report). Mahrage Grotto is officially chartered for Carmel, but the organizational events this weekend will be in Fishers.

To start, there will be a Chartering Weekend Kickoff this Friday, August 28th at Sun King in Fishers between 6:30 and 10:30PM.

The invitation-only Institution Ceremony will be held Saturday Noon-3:00PM at Hamilton Lodge in Fishers (nuzzled in the soft shadows of the state's only Ikea store). The public officer's installation and chartering dinner will follow at 5:00PM at the Fishers American Legion Post 470 at 9091 E. 126th Street, and ladies are welcome. Dinner is $30 per person.

Visit the website for reservations, but act now!

What's the Grotto, you ask? It's shorthand for a local chapter of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, one of the social groups connected to the Freemasons. (If you've heard of the Shriners, they are similar - they even wear fezzes... black ones, instead of red ones). Check out their website HERE.

But if you're interested in joining, you must be a Master Mason in a local Masonic Lodge first. For more about that, check out BeAFreemason.com

New From the Masonic Book Club: 'The Book M or Masonry Triumphant'

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 08:30:36 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

A new title from the Masonic Book Club (MBC) is now available for pre-publication purchase. The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant, by William Smith, with an Introduction by Ill. Arturo de Hoyos, 33°.

From the Masonic Book Club website:
In the decades following the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1717 and the publication of James Anderson’s The Constitutions of the Free-Masons (1723), Freemasonry was undergoing both consolidation and public exposure. William Smith’s The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant (1736), participated in this transition by offering a blend of history, ritual elements, and songs which reflected the increasing literate and social mobility of the Craft’s membership. The Book M is essentially a “Pocket Companion” augmented with original commentary on Northern English Masonry, “Memorables,” and ceremonial observations. This dual format, part historical narrative plus musical/occasional material, informed and entertained Brethren as well as promoting a positive self-image of the fraternity. The author was likely the same William Smith who was initiated at Swalwell Lodge (Lodge of Industry No. 48) in 1733.

Internal evidence suggests that The Book M represents the traditions of the “Harodim,” an early form of Masonry distinct from the “Moderns” (post-1717) and “Ancients” (post-1752). Some scholars suggest that the Harodim encompassed ritual elements later found in other high degrees, such as the Rose Croix, the Passing of the Bridge, and the Mark, Ark, and Link ceremonies. However, historical records indicate that the Harodim was primarily a lecture-based assembly. It preserved some of the older traditions of Masonry, including Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Enoch’s Columns, and the construction of Solomon’s Temple as part of the Fraternity’s mythology.

Although published in a relatively large edition, surviving copies are quite rare, with fewer than ten known to exist. This attractive Masonic Book Club edition, which was re-typeset for clarity, preserves the pagination and some of the engravings of the original. Some of the engravings have been reproduced or reimagined. A new introduction by Arturo de Hoyos adds a historical context and frames the book within the traditional works of the Craft.
The recently-revived Masonic Book Club works a bit differently from the way it did back in the 1970s-2000's. There are no dues. Books are announced in a pre-publication phase and a cheaper ordering price is announced (usually in the $40 range). If there's enough interest in the title, great. They'll go to press and the book will get delivered in a few months. If there aren't enough pre-orders to make it worth printing, you'll get your money back, and the book will not get printed.

So here are the gory details about The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant. The pre-publication order window will be open through Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The special MBC pre-publication price is $40. The regular retail price will be $50 once it gets printed, so he who hesitates loses ten smackers.

During the pre-publication sale period, they are also offering a limited signed edition for $55.
It's a pre-publication order and the book itself hasn't been printed yet. If the MBC receives sufficient orders during the pre-publication sale period, they expect to print in the Fall and ship in late December 2026 or early January 2027. If they DON'T receive sufficient orders, they'll refund your filthy lucre, the book will slip back into obscurity, and Art De Hoyos' work will have been in vain.

And it'll all be your damned fault.

For more information on the book, visit https://srbookstore.myshopify.com/products/masonry-triumphant

For the lowdown on the Masonic Book Club, see my story from 2020 when it was revived at:

The Masonic Book Club Is Reborn By AASR-SJ

The Loneliness of Gen Z

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

A recent Financial Times piece by John Burn-Murdoch dug into some depressing numbers from the American Time Use Survey. According to the data, "on an average day in 2023, one in 10 young Americans aged between 23 and 29 did not spend a single minute interacting face to face with another person."

That’s not a typo. Or a rounding error. That's Zero. As in not one single person.

And that is going to have an effect on Freemasonry going forward.

From the article, "Pandemic lockdowns never ended for some people":"Many teens and young adults have lives that are just as socially rich today as they were a decade ago while others have become completely cut off. Back in 2019, the most socially connected quarter of young people used to spend 87 per cent of their day with other people, whether family, friends, co-workers or others. During the pandemic that dipped to 78 per cent, but it has rebounded to 83 per cent. The most isolated segment used to spend roughly a third of their day around others, but that has now collapsed to essentially zero."

But the folks at the bottom never recovered. Before Covid, the most isolated segment of young adults used to spend a third of their day around other people. But that collapsed to zero during the pandemic lockdown.

And stayed there.

Americans today are spending more and more time staring at screens. Daily computer and social-media time for Americans rose from 25 minutes in 2015 to 37 minutes in 2025. Teenagers? They’re averaging about 90 minutes a day. And more than a third of employed people were still doing at least some of their work from home in 2025.

"Whether we’re talking about the long shadow of pandemic lockdowns, the increasingly enthralling digital environment or intensifying academic pressure, anti-socialising forces have had radically different effects on different young people.

"Data from the UK paints a similar picture of what we might need to start calling socialising inequality. An upcoming report by the Institute for Public Policy Research finds that while the average young Briton has roughly five close friends — the same figure as in 2015, the portion with not a single close friend has shot up from one in 100 in 2015 to one in 20 today."

[snip]

"The figures point to a corrosive coincidence of slow and fast social shifts. From the rise of remote working to self-checkouts and the displacement of bricks-and-mortar shopping by ecommerce, technology has steadily eroded the number of incidental interpersonal encounters that would typically offer even the most reserved person a baseline amount of human contact.

"At the same time, the proliferation of hyper-engaging all-you-can-eat digital media has made solitary leisure time the default, while in-person socialising becomes relatively more effortful — especially for those of a more anxious or introverted nature. While labour-saving mechanical innovations freed up more time for socialising, digital innovations have often had the opposite effect.

"Add to these slow anti-socialising background shifts the pandemic-era shock of disrupted habits and enforced solitude for many young people, and you tip some of this group into a new and damaging equilibrium from which they are struggling to escape.

"Social ties are hugely important for health and longevity, and the increasing co-occurrence of social and economic isolation makes the problem of rising youth worklessness harder to address."

None of this should surprise anyone who’s been paying attention. COVID kept a whole generation of young people inside during the very years when most of us learned how to navigate the real world with real humans. Some never fully came back out.

As Freemasons, this hits close to home. One of the quiet strengths of our Craft has always been that it pulls people out of isolation and into a room with a hopefully diverse group of other people—on purpose. Lodge is one of the last places (along with churches) where adults from all walks of life still regularly show up in person, look each other in the eye, shake hands, and talk about something more substantive than the latest algorithm feed. In a world where a growing number of young adults are going entire days and weeks without that basic human contact, the simple act of gathering in a sanctuary from the outside arguments of life still matters more than we sometimes remember.

Worth thinking about the next time you’re tempted to skip a stated meeting.

What this means to us is that we need to actively reach out to these men and to society at large with the message that Freemasonry can help them. We’re needed MORE right now than in any time over the last century.

Less than half of American kids under 18 today live in a traditional two-parent first-marriage home. More than a third live with an unmarried parent — usually a single mother — without any father or live-in male partner of ANY kind, to help raise and educate and be the male influence or role model to the children. They have fewer flesh and blood friends, and even fewer brothers and sisters, because many adults have decided one child — or none — is enough.

These demographics all hit us hard as Masons. Fewer boys have a father or grandfather to pass along family traditions like Freemasonry to them. A young man today is 40 times more likely to wind up in jail than join a fraternal organization.

A buddy of mine, Dave Hosler, once said that of all the miracles attributed to Jesus Christ, the greatest was that at 33 He had twelve good, close friends. Or at least eleven. There’s a lot of truth in that.

In a lodge, we become Brothers. Brothers aren’t just friends. Brothers live by a code. They help each other, mentor each other, stick by each other, support each other. That’s why what we take at the altar isn’t merely an oath or promise—it’s an obligation. It binds us with duty and integrity, even to strangers halfway around the world. That’s the greatest genius of our fraternity. If you live an isolated existence with almost no family, no friends, few or no co-workers, maybe in a town far away from where you grew up, in the lodge you have an extended family that's truly global. Wherever you go in the world, you will find a Brother Mason. And you're connected to a family heritage that goes back 300 years.

Let's get that message out now. There's a whole generation of men out there that desperately needs to hear it.

'National Treasure 3' Is A Definite...Maybe

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 20:44:32 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

As the old song goes, "And tho' it's been said many times, many ways..."

No, not Merry Christmas.

Film director John Turteltaub has revealed that, after two decades, National Treasure 3 is finally "in development." According to an article last week, a script has been written and approved by himself, Disney Studios and Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and is now slowly grinding its way up the Hollywood food chain.

Turteltaub said it during a live event for the National Treasure Hunt podcast, held in Philadelphia last Friday.

Of course, he said the same thing in October last year. We've heard all this before, many times over the last 20 years. But this time, he says Nicholas Cage is officially on board again as Benjamin Franklin Gates. In fact, it looks like the whole band may be back together for #3.

“To the extent that we can, everyone is coming back,” Turtletaub said. That likely includes Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight. Maybe even Harvey Keitel's Masonic FBI agent, Sadusky.

I hate to remind them all, but they're not getting any younger. As Turtletaub himself pointed out, any one of them could get hit by a bus.

Maybe the 250th anniversary of America's founding this year finally got the Disney bean counters thinking the Internet-sated public might come out out of the basement again for a new action adventure film with a mystery plot based in American history, the way they did 20 years ago for the first two.

Absolutely no clues were dropped concerning the release date or the plot. If you believe the entry on the Internet Movie Database, the original husband and wife writing team of Cormac and Marianne Wibberley are gone from this project. They penned the first National Treasure (2004) and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). The new credit currently lists Chris Bremner and Ted Elliott.

Bremner is a relative newcomer, with just three produced scripts to his name (Bad Boys For Life, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and The Man From Toronto). Ted Elliott has a much longer and better track record that includes blockbuster hits like the classic animated Aladdin for Disney, Shrek, and all of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. So, whether this entry includes any references and Easter eggs for us Masonic fanboys or not, it should at least be entertaining.

Masonic Assistance for June's Washington State Fires

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 04:04:34 +0000

Photo: The Sunday Guardian website 6/18/2026

by Christopher Hodapp

Back in June, wildfires in the Spokane area devastated areas in Eastern Washington state.

To my knowledge, the Grand Lodge of Washington has not requested a Masonic Service Association Disaster Appeal. Instead, they are directly requesting donations via their own Washington Masonic Services website.

On August 2nd, the Grand Lodge of Washington posted the following appeal for donations to help Masons who lost everything in those fires:

As we are sure you have heard, here in Eastern Washington we are experiencing significant tragedy from wildfires as they devastate the lives of countless residents in the area just Spokane Complex Fires. Businesses, citizens, and members of our Masonic Family have lost everything.

During these challenging times, let us come together as a united and resilient Masonic community. We stand in solidarity with our Brothersand their loved ones who may be grappling with loss, displacement, or uncertainty. In the true spirit of Freemasonry, let us extend our hands and hearts to offer support wherever it is needed. While material possessions can be rebuilt, the emotional wounds caused by such events can linger. Together, we can be beacons of light for each other, providing comfort, compassion, and assistance as we are able.

We must continue to live by our Masonic values, supporting one another with unwavering strength and compassion. In unity, we will overcome this trial and emerge even stronger, for that is the essence of our Brotherhood. “These generous principles extend further, for every human being has a claim upon your kind offices.” As the dedicated charitable arm of our Grand Lodge, Washington Masonic Services (WAMS) has a disaster relief fund to support those impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires:

(https://masonscare.givecloud.co/product/779AB1C/spokane-complex-fires).

Or For more information contact Edward Woods at edward@masonscare.org or (253) 267 8210

Our WAMS case managers are also seeking to contact Masons in the area to offer their assistance.

Remember the promise you made as an Entered Apprentice Mason, and please contribute as much as necessity requires, and your ability permits.

Historic French Masonic Hall Vandalized for Third Time in Seven Years

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 21:27:14 +0000

Photo: Myriam Tieulent's Facebook page

by Christopher Hodapp

As I've been warning for months, anti-Masonry would doubtless accompany the rise in anti-Semitic rage and hate crimes around the Western world.

Concorde et Persévérance Lodge is a historic lodge affiliated with the Grand Orient de France (GODF). Located in Vienne, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, and founded originally in 1781 under the name "La Concorde," it is one of the oldest lodges in the country. The Masonic hall was vandalized on the night of July 31st. Windows were broken, Nazi swastikas and SS symbols were painted on the entrance, along with anti-Jewish slogans, insults, death threats, the 666 ('Mark of the Beast'), and phrases like "Death to pedos" ("Mort aux pedos"), as in "pedophiles." (Inexplicably, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's names were also tagged on the building in this pastiche of paranoia and hatred.) In front of the main door to the building, there was also painted a curious symbol and phrase, "The sun will rise."

This appears to be a variation of the Black Sun, or Schwarze Sonne, an emblem used by some radical neo-Nazi, supremacist and identity groups. The symbol originated at the notorious Wewelsburg castle, Heinrich Himmler's private ceremonial center for the elite officers of the SS. It's made up of the stylized double lightning bolt symbols of the SS.

Nazi ideology regarded Freemasons with as much hatred they reserved for Jews. Hitler himself said, "all Jews are Freemasons; all Freemasons are Jews," likely because of the Old Testament Solomon's Temple story that makes up the Masonic degrees.

According to the www.vivre-villes.fr website, a door was damaged and a window smashed, but the attacker(s) didn't manage to get into the building, unlike in the 2019 incident. Blood was found on the broken window, so at least one of the vandals managed to slice himself. If authorities care enough to spend a little time and money on it, a DNA test might trace the blood to the attacker's identity. If they care.

This same lodge hall was attacked twice in 2019, and again in 2024. In the previous incidents, the building was broken into and furniture and other items were damaged, stolen or destroyed. It's unknown as to whether the two incidents are related, but the attacks all featured anti-Masonic and Nazi-related symbols. Whether the vandal involved is himself a Neo-Nazi, or simply a fanboy of Neo-Nazi hate groups is hard to say. But these are clearly escalating threats and must be taken deadly seriously.

In a statement to the press, local town councilwoman Myriam Tieulent condemned the attack, pointing out that this historic lodge was severely damaged 80 years ago by Vichy pro-Nazi supporters during World War II.

"I am shocked and worried to see that these are Nazi tags," she said. "They [recall] the horror of the Hitler regime, responsible for the genocide of Jews throughout Europe, and have no place in our city or in our Republic."

"For several months we have been observing the multiplication of racist tags and stickers that defile the walls of our city, she added. "It is time for city hall and the police to act so that our city is no longer stained by symbols of an ideology that led to the Shoah."

Mme. Tieulent was the only local government official to speak out against the attack. Local police are investigating.

California Masonic Symposium: George Washington's Masonic Discretion August 26th

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 04:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

George Washington is arguably the most famous Freemason in American history. His image hangs in lodge rooms around the world, he laid federal cornerstones in full Masonic regalia, and his membership is a proud part of our fraternity’s story. Yet during his lifetime, Washington almost never spoke publicly about being a Mason and actually (provably) attended less than a dozen lodge meetings. Why the deliberate silence?

That’s the central question of this year’s California Masonic Symposium: George Washington's Masonic Discretion, and it’s one worth your time, especially since it's the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation.

When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Time: 7:00–9:00 PM (Pacific)
Where: Live via Zoom (free)
RSVP: Register here

Historian Steven C. Bullock, author of the landmark book Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730–1840, will examine Washington’s careful separation of his public role as president from his private life as a Freemason. Bullock argues that Washington’s restraint wasn’t secrecy for its own sake—it was a deliberate choice about leadership, integrity, and the proper place of the fraternity in a new republic.

After Steven's presentation, a live panel will dig deeper. Past Grand Master John Cooper III, Inspector and educator Scott Morrison, Jr., and moderator Jhairo Echevarria (Chairman of the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education) will place Washington’s example alongside later figures such as DeWitt Clinton, the Morgan Affair, and the rise of the anti-Masonic movement. There will also be a live Q&A, so bring your questions.

Whether you’re a serious student of Masonic history, a Washington fanboy, or simply curious about how our most celebrated Brother navigated the tightrope between fraternity and public life, this promises to be a strong program. The Grand Lodge of California has a solid track record with these symposia, and this year’s topic is especially relevant this year.

Mark your calendar, grab a seat on Zoom, and join the conversation. Registration is free and open to all.

Julio Diaz Found Guilty in Arson Fires and Murder of Texas Mason

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 18:32:31 +0000

Photo: KRGV-TV5

by Christopher Hodapp

Julio Diaz has finally been found guilty in the arson fires of two Masonic lodges and the subsequent 2023 murder of Past Master Robert Wise outside of McAllen Lodge 1110 in McAllen, Texas. He now awaits sentencing.

From the KRGV-TV website on August 6th:

The verdict came after the jury deliberated for about 30 minutes. Diaz now awaits sentencing.

Prosecutors called more than two dozen witnesses during the trial. They presented surveillance video, cell phone evidence, and videos they said proved Diaz shot and killed Wise.

The defense called only one witness, a woman related to an elderly family member. Diaz was helping care for her, and she testified about a post-it note the defense said Diaz wrote, which reportedly mentioned the Freemasons and the Anunnaki.

Diaz's case dates back to July 2023. Police arrested him two days after Wise was found shot outside the McAllen Masonic Lodge.

Diaz also faced two arson charges. One is linked to a fire at the McAllen Masonic Lodge a year before Wise was shot. The second is linked to a Feb. 20, 2023, fire at the Weslaco Masonic Lodge, which destroyed the building.

Diaz chose to have the judge decide his sentence rather than the jury. His attorney spoke with Channel 5 News about that decision.

"That is largely attorney-client privilege; there are tactical reasons why the biggest reason is the health information did not come out in trial," attorney Lennard K. Whittaker said.

READ MORE: Phone evidence, claims of 'black magic' presented as state rests in McAllen murder trial

The defense said the jury never heard testimony about Diaz's mental state. Whittaker said a court-ordered neurological expert did not finish evaluating Diaz before the trial began.

"Those delusions were put in place in full view before that jury; unfortunately, we had no expert because he hadn't completed his work in time for this date," Whittaker said.

Throughout the trial, the defense repeatedly asked the judge to delay it, citing the unfinished evaluation. The judge denied those requests, noting the case had already been pending for nearly three years.

The defense will use the coming weeks to gather character letters, mental health and medical information, and other materials it believes could help the judge during sentencing. Whittaker said it is too early to know whether the defense plans to call witnesses at sentencing...

Diaz' sentencing is set for September 21st. He faces between just 5(!) and 99 years in prison.

When he was arrested and questioned back in July 2023, Julio Diaz told investigators that Masons were "devil worshiping Illuminatists." A Facebook commenter said Diaz had previously posted anti-Masonic comments on social media, claiming the lodge "had put a curse on him." A year before the killing, the McAllen lodge was vandalized with graffiti that read: “Sorcery against the Holy Spirit and the human race must all be stoned to death.” Whether or not Diaz painted that message, it was followed by his arson attacks on the lodge and on the nearby Weslaco lodge building. And then he shot Robert Wise in the head at point blank range as members were leaving an officer's installation.

Diaz was so proud of his actions that he captured the shooting on video and posted it on his Instagram account. The jury saw this video in the course of the trial.

According to the myRGV.com website, he told his attorney that "he didn't see Freemasons as human beings or as being of the human race." He believes Masons are reptilians. "On social media, Diaz had also said that people who are suicidal should kill Freemasons before themselves, saying people could save millions of humans depending on the degree of the witch, sorcerer or Freemason they killed."

It cannot be emphasized enough that Masons must take any and all vandalism and anti-Masonic messaging deadly seriously and report every single instance to local law enforcement. That includes threatening messages mailed to the lodge, stuck in car windows outside of meetings, or posted on lodge doors. Brother Wise's distraught family brought a million dollar lawsuit against the lodge for purchasing security cameras and outdoor lighting equipment and failing to install it in the wake of the vandalism prior to the murder.

This admonition is not a mercenary one, but one of responsibility to our members, families and visitors. The toxic nature of anti-social media these days helps to percolate this kind of anti-Masonic sentiment, and violence is everywhere. Moreover, the alarming rise in anti-semitism that's sweeping the Western world catches Freemasons in the same net. Religious fanatics have associated Masonry with Judaism for more than two centuries, along with accusing Masons of Satanism and worse. We can ascribe these kinds of insane hatreds to madness, but madmen aren't any less dangerous just because they believe ridiculous things.

France: Verdicts Are In on the Athanor Lodge Case

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:45:00 +0000

Image: Le Parisien

by Christopher Hodapp

In mid-July, after more than three months of hearings and roughly 600 hours of debate, a special Paris assize court wrapped up the long-running “Athanor Affaire" trial, one of the largest criminal trials in French history. Seventeen of the 22 defendants aged 30 through 73 were convicted of crimes tied to members of a former Masonic lodge. What appeared at first to be widely isolated incidents turned out to be part of a shockingly wide-ranging crime cell run by a tiny group of rogue Masonic lodge members who hired others to eliminate, intimidate or murder business rivals, debtors, or just annoying inconveniences.

The most serious charges included aggravated violence, attempted extortion, murder, and attempted murder by an organized gang—which all turned out to have been plotted for wildly trivial reasons. Sentences ranged from six months suspended to 30 years’ imprisonment – heavy time for the actual organizers and the ringleader, lighter or suspended sentences for lesser roles, and five full acquittals (including the accused gunman in the 2018 killing of a race driver named Laurent Pasquali and others). Some sentences came in below the prosecution’s requests, which a few observers called a partial setback for the case.

Back in 2022, several of the alleged criminals were discovered to be members of the now defunct Athanor Lodge 759, a lodge chartered under the Grande Loge Alliance Maçonnique Française (GLAMF) and located in the Puteaux neighborhood of the Hauts-de-Seine area, about five miles west of Paris. The case blew open in 2020 when two hired hit men were arrested just before they could successfully assassinate a business competitor of a lodge officer. By the time investigators tracked down all the various business and lodge connections and associated crimes, the related criminal activities dated back to at least 2016 with the beating of a politician in Val-de-Marne.

At the center of the network were four key figures who belonged to Athanor Lodge. Clients paid, the organizers recruited enforcers and hit men (including low-level intelligence agency personnel and others), and in some cases spun elaborate fairy tales that the jobs were part of top secret state work for the DSGE (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, which translates to the Directorate General for External Security, the French intelligence agency analogous to the American CIA). The four principal members were:

Frédéric Vaglio (ex-journalist and communicator turned economic intelligence investigator), the mastermind of the gang who actually brought in the contracts, was sentenced to 25 years. He had ordered Daniel Beaulieu to arrange the murder of Marie-Hélène Dini, a competitor in Vaglio's consulting business, in 2020.
Daniel Beaulieu (former interior intelligence/DCRI-DGSI officer) was the chief organizer of the Athanor gang. Before retiring in 2009, he spent most of his career as a police officer in general intelligence (RG), eventually rising to be Deputy Head of Division at the DCRI (Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence, now DGSI). According to press accounts, the judge stated: "The court considered that you were the linchpin without whom nothing would have been possible." He received the toughest sentence at 30 years, and the fact that he had been a former police officer contributed to his harshest term. Throughout their trial, he and Vaglio had blamed each other for their crimes. Beaulieu, 73, is in poor health after attempting suicide last year while awaiting trial in prison, which left him disabled and with "impaired concentration."
Sébastien Leroy: (Past Venerable Master of the lodge) was "the muscle" involved in the most violent acts, from beating elected officials all the way back to the 2018 murder of a race car driver, Laurent Pasquali (whose body was later found buried). Beaulieu passed Dini's hit contract to Leroy, a private security officer, who recruited two young DGSE guards, Pierre Bourdin and Carl Esnault. The guards believed they were being recruited to carry out authorized homicide operations for French intelligence by pretending it was a secret intelligence mission against a Mossad agent for "national security" reasons. Leroy was sentenced to 27 years in prison, five years more than the prosecution had requested.
Jean-Luc Bagur: found guilty of complicity in the attempted murder of Dini and sentenced to 16 years. Investigators eventually connected a link in the case to Bagur, 69, who was a rival business consultant to Dini and the Venerable Maitre (Venerable Master, the French equivalent to Worshipful Master) of Athanor Lodge.
These four core members allegedly abused the structure and 'secrecy' of the lodge for what prosecutors called a “PME du crime” — a criminal small business providing paid “services” ranging from intimidation and industrial espionage to assault and murder.

For those in the press and online with a bone to pick against the Freemasons and who want to use this sensational case to smear the whole fraternity: When lurid allegations regarding the lodge were first brought to the attention of the Grand Lodge, it was immediately dissolved and its accused members suspended or expelled. These were individual criminal convictions. The court judged specific people for specific acts. Neither Freemasonry as an institution, the GLAMF, nor every member of the former Athanor lodge was on trial or found guilty. One small group of individuals allegedly abused their lodge connections for private criminal profit. That does not make the Craft, or French Masonry generally, responsible.

The case covered acts mainly from 2018–2022, including:

The 2018 murder of rally race driver Laurent Pasquali, whose body was later found buried). The alleged assassin was acquitted over lack of concrete evidence; the couple who had purportedly approached the Athanor group to kill Pasquali over a bad debt was also acquitted because the court found they had not provably ordered his killing.
Failed assassination plots against business coach Marie-Hélène Dini and union activist Hassan Touzani.
Various assaults, a vehicle arson, theft and espionage-style jobs, and related conspiracy charges.

An investigator asked Vaglio how many murder contracts he had been involved in. "The total number can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and only one murder actually came to fruition."

The activities were revealed after two DGSE-linked men were arrested in 2020 near Dini’s home while preparing her assassination. The core Masonic group preyed on public misconceptions of what Masonry is. What became clear throughout the trial was the way the Athanor lodge group abused Freemasonry's teachings of secrecy as a symbol of honor to convince gullible men that it was a recruiting front for the French espionage services. One of the most alarming aspects of the case was that the legitimate DGSE agency did not immediately get in front of the story and deny that it really was plotting the killing of a female Israeli Mossad agent, especially on French soil. They seemed just as content to keep up the public perception that they were engaging in murderous espionage as the Athanor Lodge group was to promote their own phony image as spooky spy masters.

For regular Freemasons, the takeaway is straightforward and unflattering: a handful of people in one lodge used the fraternal setting and membership contacts as cover and recruitment ground for a for-profit crime ring. French Masonry as a whole was not on trial, but the episode has already fueled the usual “secret society gone rogue” commentary. There were just enough members of Athanor Lodge in the law enforcement, security and intelligence-gathering world to furiously stoke the fires of the "dirty cops in the Freemasons!" media headlines and the conspiracy monger universe.

The lodge itself is gone, the convictions are on the books, and it's only a matter of time before we see the effects on the fraternity and on public perceptions of Masonry.

About Athanor Lodge 759 and the Grande Loge Alliance Maçonnique Française (GLAMF)

Athanor Lodge 759 was legitimately chartered by the Grande Loge de l'Alliance Maçonnique Française (the Grand Lodge of the French Masonic Alliance, or GL-AMF), which was created in its present form in 2012. At the time, that grand lodge was largely formed by some 15,000 disgruntled Masons who had split from the Grand Loge National Français (GLNF) over a massive internal power struggle involving then-GLNF Grand Master Stifani. (see HERE for beginnings of that long tale). The GLNF is the French grand lodge overwhelmingly recognized throughout the world as regular, and the 2012 incident was an enormous upheaval at the time. It took years for the dust to settle, and the GLNF was never able to return to its former size.

The GL-AMF today has about 15,400 members in 684 lodges, and a strong argument can be made that they are perfectly regular in origin. In other words, it's not some small-time, bogus grand lodge masquerading as something it isn't. Like all regular, recognized grand lodge obediences, they admit only men, require a belief in God, and work accepted rituals. So, Athanor Lodge started out as a legit lodge of Freemasons. But like the old P2 lodge scandal with gangster/terrorist Licio Gelli in Italy back in the 1980s, it got twisted into someone's private hideout for criminals.

When these stories began to hit the news six years ago, I'm told that GL-AMF Grand Master Fred Picavet suspended the lodge and all of its members, including two of those currently indicted. Online chatter in France is that the lodge's Venerable Maitre, Jean-Luc Bagur, was suspended back in 2020, even before any of these stories came out, for non-payment of dues, and that he went right on running the lodge meetings, ignoring the order. My understanding its that all of the former lodge members accused in the Athanor Affaire case were suspended by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master and will be subsequently be tried for expulsion now that the verdicts are all in from the court case.

UGLE's New Outreach Program

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:26:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

In July, London's METRO newspaper went inside the Great Queen Street headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England. In a surprisingly sympathetic article, reporter Luke Alsford and photographer Nick Edwards toured the Art Deco Freemason Hall near Covent Garden. His guides were two younger Freemasons, Mitch Bryan and Nando Cicada, who explained the fraternity's ceremonies, traditions, charitable activities, and the friendships that keep members coming back. Rather than discovering sinister conspiracies or secret plans for world domination, Alsford encountered something considerably less alarming: men enjoying fellowship, elaborate ceremonies, and the occasional decent dinner.

Imagine that.

When quizzed about that all-sinister "dodgy handshake" business the English seem constantly terrorized by, Mitch called it one of the dullest aspects of the fraternity. Far more important are the personal connections and sense of belonging Freemasonry provides. Nando observed that London can be an extraordinarily lonely city, but his Masonic friendships have given him a community he hadn't found elsewhere. The article also discusses the fraternity's substantial charitable giving, its prohibition against discussing politics and religion in lodge, and the tarted up controversy over forcing Metropolitan Police officers to disclose their Masonic membership.

This is part of UGLE's strategy to attract a younger generation of members through social media advertising and a more open public image. Young Mitch and Nando challenged the standard trope that Freemasonry is exclusively populated by rich, powerful, cranky old men shouting at clouds, rigging elections, and controlling banks.

It's refreshing to see a mainstream UK newspaper discover that Freemasonry's greatest attraction isn't our spooky secrets, but the enduring friendships and sense of purpose it offers its members. These outreach programs to attract a new generation of members has been attempted many times over the decades. In the current age of growing isolation, loneliness and social media anonymity, perhaps this time the message will get through. The press over there has been remarkably snarky and downright libelous at times toward the Masons since the 1980s. Maybe a new crop of young reporters struggling with their own sense of loneliness these days can lay aside the old anti-Masonic biases and see us for what we are.

That'd be refreshing.

Read the complete Metro article here: Secret rituals and symbols on lattes: Metro goes inside Freemasons Grand Lodge.

MSA Disaster Relief Appeal: Venezuela Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

NOTE: A glitch that was temporarily preventing online credit card donations has been fixed and the site is working properly.

The following urgent disaster appeal was sent out today by Mark Tabbert, Administrator of the Masonic Service Association of North America:

Photo: UPI

Venezuela Earthquake Disaster Relief Appeal

On 24 June 2026 two large earthquakes struck northwestern and central Venezuela, both centered in San Felipe, Yaracur. Currently hundreds of thousands are homeless, more than 5,000 were killed at least 16,500 are injured, and tens of thousands remain missing.

As of 17 July, at least five brother Masons with 300 relatives of brothers were also killed. Thousands more have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their worldly possessions. Lastly, the Grand Lodge Temple in Caracas, built in 1873, was severely damaged.

As Brothers of the Craft, let us remember that adversity only strengthens our international bonds.

Let us also use this moment to reflect on the fragility of life and the importance of being prepared, not just physically, but also in terms of the support systems we offer to one another.

José Gregorio Sardelli Bravo Grand Master Grand Lodge of the Republic of Venezuela has requested the Masonic Service Association of North America (MSA) to issue this Disaster Relief Appeal. The MSANA Board of Commissioners has endorsed this request.

If you choose to give to this appeal please forward any donations you feel appropriate to help our devastated Brothers and their families in this stricken grand jurisdiction to MSANA.

Please make checks payable to MSA Disaster Relief Appeal and mail to:

Masonic Service Association
813 1st Avenue SE, Suite 357
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

ONLINE DONATIONS : https://msana.com/current-appeals/

When remitting by check, please clearly mark that you wish the funds to go to the Venezuela Earthquake Relief Appeal.

Sincerely,
Mark A. Tabbert, PM
Administrator
Masonic Service Association of North America

The 1873 Grand Lodge building in Caracas, Venezuela before the earthquake

Main temple in the Grand Lodge building in Caracas, Venezuela

The Masonic Service Association is usually the best and most effective way to provide financial assistance to Masons in disaster-stricken areas.

If you are new to the fraternity or have never heard of the MSANA, it is a legitimate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. That is important to remember, especially if you, your company, or foundation are making a large donation and are in need of a tax deduction in return. The charitable arm of the Masonic Service Association was specifically established for the purpose of raising tax deductible donations, and to effectively distribute and account for the funds provided to Masons who receive assistance. Your entire donation will be sent to the affected jurisdiction. MSA deducts nothing for administrative expenses or expenses of any kind. Meaning if you donate $100.00, all $100.00 gets to the specific grand lodge issuing the appeal.

MSANA appeals are always done at the specific request of an affected Masonic jurisdiction when a catastrophe strikes. When donating through an MSA appeal you can be sure the money is officially going directly to the jurisdiction that requested it, which may not always be the case with a GoFundMe appeal or similar services. GoFundMe donations are not by law tax deductible because the IRS has no way of knowing how the money was raised, how it was spent, what may have been promised or given in return, and no way of peering into the accounting of whomever set it up. The IRS has very strict rules about tax deductible charities, and GoFundMe-type services don't even attempt to comply. And even if a legitimate lodge or grand lodge sets up such an appeal through GoFundMe, they can't issue a legit 501(c)(3) deduction to the donors unless they have their own charitable foundation or corporation that already does comply with the IRS.

July 18: Speaking at Ohio Masonic Education Event This Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Hodapp) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

by Christopher Hodapp

I'll be speaking this Saturday, July 18th at Ohio's 6th Masonic District's Pillars of Knowledge event. This Masonic educational gathering will be held at J.B. Covert Lodge No. 437 on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio, between 8AM and 3PM.

Six speakers will be featured:

Chris Hodapp (Dummy)
Dan Hrinko (author of 'The Craft Driven Lodge')
William Carter III (PGM and Cybersecurity Expert)
Dirk Hughes (Director of the Michigan Masonic Museum and Library)
Tim Redick (Associate Dean off the Royal Schofield Society)
Michael Miller ((Master of the Ohio Lodge of Research)

Registration is $30 and lunch is included. Visit the website HERE to register.

(Not enough time to pre-register? Any Master Mason is welcome to attend and registrations will also be held onsite beginning at 8AM)

The lodge is located at 848 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45245.