Awaiting Degrees

Knocking on the Door           Fellow Craft                         Master Mason

Eric Haggard, Juergen Hess

Sickness and Distress
Please keep all Brothers and their families in your prayers
 Especially these
                                                                                     MW Bill Bray, Stephan Garner, Jack Kennedy, Sam Petriak & Jerry Brown                                                                                                                   

St. John the Baptist: Why is He A Prominent Masonic Figure?

As far as Freemasons are concerned, the Lodge of St. John in Jerusalem was the first Mother Lodge. The lodge was first devoted to St. John the Baptist before being dedicated to St. John the Evangelist in Jerusalem. The Mother Lodge is now devoted to both of them.

The Lodge of the Holy Saints John of Jerusalem is how Freemasons refer to this lodge in Jerusalem today. For Freemasons, the lodge is extremely important because it is from this primitive location that all other lodges around the world descend.

So why is St. John the Baptist revered by Masons? Let’s take a look at his life in more detail.

The life of St. John the Baptist.
St. John the Baptist had a strict demeanor and a positive personality. He grew a prominent ministry and a large following over the course of his long life, preaching on a variety of important topics at the time and is one of the most significant characters represented in the Bible.
He was a direct descendant of Abraham’s son and was Jesus’ age-mate, playing an important role in his life. He is best known for baptizing Jesus and referring to him as the Lamb of God. When Herod chastised John the Baptist, he imprisoned him and finally beheaded him.
Within Freemasonry, St. John is said to embody purity, zeal, simplicity of manners, and a strong desire to help others, as a result of his Biblical interpretations.

St. John’s Day.

The first Grand Lodge in England was formed on 24th June 1717, which is the feast day of John the Baptist. This was a deliberate act, and pays tribute to the Saint who was widely regarded as the patron of stonemasons right the way through the Middle Ages.

Every year, brothers come together to celebrate St John’s Day and celebrate his life. But it’s equally important to recognize St. John the Evangelist’s Day, which appears just as prominently on the Masonic calendar. This falls every year on 27th December.  John the Evangelist is more associated with the Scottish lodges, even though the United Grand Lodge of England was itself formed on 27th December 1813. The two saints continue to be widely respected and revered figures for brothers studying the Craft.

The Holy Saints John.

When regarding St. John the Baptist in regard to Freemasonry, it’s impossible to consider him without also acknowledging the Evangelist. In fact, within Masonic circles, they are known as ‘The Holy Saints John,’ and contribute to many interesting and important Masonic symbols and rituals.

To this day, brothers the world over regard the two Holy Johns as the patron saints of our fraternity. We mark the 24th June and 27th of December in our calendars to celebrate the lives of the saints and to revel in their historical significance.

June Birthdays

Fred Tomlin                    86

Shawn Williams             51

Joshua Fant                   40

George Weil                   69

                                                

                                              

 

Order Of The Eastern Star Of Arizona 

Verde Valley Chapter No7

534 S 12th St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326

Secretary: Barbara Wunder, PGM

602-290-9547   barbara.wundervv7@gmail.com

Stated Meetings: First Tuesday at 7:30PM

Dark: July and August

June Masonic Birthdays

James Bradley             62 yrs.

Scott Donham              22 yrs.

Clarence Finch             63 yrs.

Timothy Hunt               39 yrs.

Sam Petriak                 8 yrs.

2025-2026 GRAND LINE OFFICERS

Grand Master Most Worshipful Leigh Creighton

Deputy Grand Master Right Worshipful Roger Biede III

Senior Grand Warden  Right Worshipful Eric Dupree

Juni​or Grand Warden Right Worshipful James Xie

Grand Secretary​​ Very Worshipful  Greg Vasquez, PGM

Grand Treasurer Very Worshipful Ron Richards

Deputy Grand Secretary MWPGM Jim Baker

Deputy Grand Treasurer Brother John Olson

Senior Grand Deacon Worshipful Brother Reed Houge

Junior Grand Deacon Worshipful Brother​​ Steve Bracety

Senior Grand Steward Worshipful Brother William Carnell

Junior Grand Steward Worshipful Brother​​ Michael Flutty

Grand Lecturer WB David Fierro​

Grand Chaplain VR WB Nathan Schick

Grand Orator WB Thomas Carpenter 

Grand Marshal WB Lew Ivy

Grand Standard Bearer David Aguayo

Grand Sword Bearer WB Timothy Strasser

Grand Bible Bearer WB Harold Lindamood

Grand Pursuivant WB DJ Arps

Grand Organist Jonathan Edward D’Emilio

Grand Editor WB George Balady, Jr.

Grand Tyler WB Augustin Delgado

Grand Counsel WB Richard Leland Brooks

Grand Photographer WB Allen Nichols  

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