The Fraternity
What is Freemasonry?
One of the world's oldest fraternities. One of its least understood.
You have probably heard the word. You may have a neighbor, a colleague, or a family member who is a Mason. You might have noticed the square and compasses on a ring or a bumper sticker and wondered what it means.
Freemasonry is not easy to explain in a sentence, which is part of why it remains mysterious to many people. But it is also not complicated once you understand what it is actually about.
At its core, Freemasonry is a fraternity of men committed to becoming better versions of themselves, and to supporting one another in that pursuit. That is it. Everything else, the history, the ritual, the symbols, the degrees, flows from that central idea.
Where it comes from
Freemasonry traces its origins to the stonemasons' guilds of the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in Masonic ritual come from that era, when the great cathedrals of Europe were being built by craftsmen whose knowledge and skill were carefully guarded and passed from master to apprentice.
In 1717, four lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England, and from that point the fraternity spread throughout Europe and the American colonies. It found particularly fertile ground in Massachusetts. George Washington was a Mason. Benjamin Franklin served as head of the fraternity in Pennsylvania. Paul Revere and Joseph Warren led it here in Massachusetts.
The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts was chartered in 1733, making it the oldest Grand Lodge in the Western Hemisphere. Rabboni Lodge has been part of that tradition since 1869.
What Masons actually believe
Freemasonry is not a religion and does not require any specific religious belief. It does require that a man believe in a Supreme Being. Beyond that, a man's faith is his own. Freemasonry is comprised of men from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion.
The three core principles of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
Brotherly Love means treating every man as your equal and extending genuine care to your brothers and your community. Relief means charity, the active practice of helping others. Freemasons give over two million dollars to national and local charities every single day. Truth means living with honesty and integrity, in your dealings with others and in your understanding of yourself.
What Masons actually do
Freemasonry proposes to make good men better by teaching, through metaphors taken from geometry and architecture, about building values based on great universal truths.
This teaching happens through the three degrees of Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. Each degree is a ceremony that uses allegory, symbol, and ritual to convey moral lessons. The experience is unlike anything most men have encountered before. It is serious, meaningful, and memorable.
Beyond the degrees, lodge life includes monthly meetings, degree work, social events, charitable activities, and the simple satisfaction of spending time with men you respect.
The Working Tools
The plumb, the level, and the square are the working tools of a Master Mason — symbols of uprightness, equality, and virtue that guide a Mason in his daily life.
Is it a secret society?
No. Freemasonry is a society with some secrets, not a secret society. The existence of lodges, the names of members, and the principles of the fraternity are all public. What is kept private are certain elements of the ritual itself, in the same spirit that a craftsman's trade knowledge was once carefully passed from master to apprentice.
The square and compasses are recognized around the world. Masonic buildings are visible in communities everywhere. And Masons are generally happy to talk about what the fraternity means to them.
If you want to know more, the best thing to do is ask.
Freemasonry in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has one of the richest Masonic traditions in the world. The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts governs hundreds of lodges across the Commonwealth, organized into districts. Rabboni Lodge is part of the 6th Masonic District, one of the most active in the state.
For broader information about Freemasonry in Massachusetts, we encourage you to visit the Grand Lodge at massmasons.org and the 6th Masonic District at 6thmasonicdistrict.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
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