Brethren,

The Treasurer of the 507 Holding Co. is looking for a qualified Brother who could step forward and assume his duties as he will be retiring effective January 2011.

"What is the Lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem?" Many a Master has been puzzled to answer this simplest and most natural question. As there is not now and never was such a Lodge, perhaps there is some reason for being puzzled.

Originally, Lodges were dedicated to King Solomon, later - at least as early as 1598 - Masonry connected her name with that of St. John the Evangelist. Dedication to the Saints John were made by other organizations as early as the third century, when the Church adopted the two pagan celebrations of summer and winter solstices and made of them our St. John's Day in Summer and St. John's Day in Winter, it was wholly natural for operative Masons, having dedicated their Craft to the Holy Saints John, to begin to believe the Johns were themselves Craftsmen. Craftsmen must have a Lodge - where should that Lodge be, but in Jerusalem? Hence, "The Lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem" came into imaginary existence. Today, as we use the phrase at the starting point for a Masonic career, Masons mean only that that their Craft is dedicated to these holy men, whose precepts and practices, ideas and virtues, teachings and examples, all Freemasons should try to follow.

Fraternally,

John S. English
Worshipful Master