Worshipful Master's Message - May 2022
/Each month, the Worshipful Master provides an update on current events in relation to Freemasonry in general and Lodge No. 2 in particular. Please see below for for this month’s message from the Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 2.
Dear Brethren,
Although COVID is (hopefully) largely behind us, and things have mostly returned to normal, that does not mean that we aren’t going to hit a few bumps in the road. As you probably know, Philadelphia has been the first major city to reinstate its citywide mask mandate based upon rising case numbers. As a result, the Grand Lodge once again requires proof of vaccination to enter the Masonic Temple. Thankfully, new cases are not accumulating anywhere near as fast as they were during the Omicron surge back in December and January. I know it’s been a difficult road, but in the words of the Opening Charge, the further we trace it, the easier it will become.
As Freemasons, we are privileged to possess some of the most unique and meaningful rituals of any fraternal organization. As Pennsylvania Freemasons, we are even more privileged to experience ritual that has been virtually unchanged for centuries. A member of Lodge No. 2 from its formative days in the 18th century would immediately recognize the rituals we perform at every stated and extra meeting. One of the most important of those rituals is going to be put on display at our stated meeting, when Josue Rodriguez-Reyes is raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason by Bro. Stephen W. Long, P.M.
Sincerely and fraternally,
Paul R. Cleveland
Worshipful Master