Christopher L. Hodapp's Blog, page 52
February 26, 2020
SRRS Plumbline: The Future of Freemasonry
The Winter 2019 issue of The Plumbline arrived today from the Scottish Rite Research Society, and if you're a member and you missed opening it up, I highly recommend rescuing this one from under your stack of window replacement ads, political PAC begging letters and sweater catalogues. The latest issue features a long essay by Brother Angel Millar: The Future of Freemasonry: Who We Are and What We Have To Offer.
In six pages, Brother Millar encapsulates a whole raft of topics and articles I've...
February 25, 2020
Another One Lost: Troy, Ohio Temple Sold
And another one gone, and another one gone, and another one bites the dust...
The unique 1907 Masonic Temple of Franklin Lodge No. 14 in Troy, Ohio has just been sold to unspecified buyers for $670,000.
From a story by Aimee Hancock on the Troy Daily News website on February 24th:
The historic building was constructed in 1907 by the Troy Franklin Lodge. According to Purke, early indications are that the Masonic Temple building, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings, will...
February 24, 2020
Congressman Jeff Van Drew Hails His Lodge
New Jersey Congressman and Brother Jeff Van Drew speaking on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about his home lodge, Cannon Lodge No. 104 on February 11, 2020. The clip aired on c-SPAN.
Cannon Lodge is in South Seaview, New Jersey.
In the U.S., our politicians, civil servants and civic leaders can proudly proclaim their Masonic membership on national television. We need to remember that periodically when a story appears like yesterday's about the state prosecutor in...
Croatia's State Prosecutor Forced To Resign Over Masonic Membership
The chief state prosecutor for the nation of Croatia has just been forced to resign his office solely for being a Freemason.
An Associated Press story on February 20th reports that Croatia's State’s Attorney, Dražen Jelenić, came under fire after he publicly acknowledged his membership in a Masonic lodge.
From the AP story:
Jelenic initially refused to resign, saying that being a member of the fraternal organization did not affect his independence. However, the prime minister and other Croatian...
February 22, 2020
New Book by Austrian Priest Urges Reconciliation Between Catholicism and Masonry
The argument within the Roman Catholic Church over whether current Canon Law forbids Masonic membership continues apace. Entering into the fray, a new book has just been published in Austria, the Loge und Altar: Über die Aussöhnung von Katholischer Kirche und regulärer Freimaurerei ( Lodge and Altar: On the Reconciliation of the Catholic Church and Regular Freemasonry ) written by Father Michael Heinrich Weninger, a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He announced...
February 19, 2020
Including the Masons
It's gratifying to know that Shriner Masons count when touting diversity and inclusiveness in Derby City.
Spotted by attendees at the Conference of Grand Masters at the Louisville airport this week was this signage celebrating the city's 'inclusiveness' as its biggest strength. That's a parade unit from Kosair Shrine on the left of the poster.
It does a community good to remind them every once in a while just how important Freemasons are to our civic life and have been for a long time. It used...
February 18, 2020
New 'Be A Freemason' Website Rolled Out
Over the last two years, the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction's comprehensive "Not Just A Man. A Mason." advertising campaign for Craft Freemasonry has been enthusiastically adopted all across the U.S. and elsewhere by grateful grand lodges and individual lodges alike. Not content to rest on their laurels, the campaign has just rolled out an entire website dedicated to explaining just who and what Freemasons are, what we stand for, and how to join in your state or community.
...
February 16, 2020
Angel Millar's 'Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality' Now Available
Students seeking to explore the esoteric symbolism, concepts and philosophy of initiatic traditions like Freemasonry, Order of the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucianism and countless others, take note. Brother Angel Millar has just announced the release of his new book, Three Stages of Initiatic Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician from Inner Traditions Publishing.
Angel Millar is a New York Mason and a popular lecturer on Freemasonry, initiation and esotericism, as well as an artist...
Knights of Columbus Ditch Degrees and 'Secrecy' for Public Ceremony
"The BIG problem with our fraternity is our secrecy. And our rituals. Too long, too complicated. If we speed it up, say we combine all three rituals, and do it in a single afternoon as a PUBLIC ceremony so their families could see that we're not creepy. — THAT'S what YOUNG men REALLY want!"Some version of these very words at some point have dribbled out of the mouths of more than one Masonic leader in the U.S. or elsewhere over the last 25 years or so. Face it - that's how American...
February 11, 2020
Memphis Masonic Temple For Sale
The Masonic white elephant hunters are at it again.
The Daily Memphian in Memphis, Tennessee reports this morning that their downtown DeSoto Masonic Temple is officially up for sale for $2.5 million (the story is hidden behind a paywall), and has been for about a month and a half.
From what I'm able to discover, the DeSoto Temple has a large lodge room and ceremonial rooms for the York Rite bodies, including a Commandery Asylum. It is the home of Memphis Lodge 118 and DeSoto Lodge...
