Chartering Mahrage Grotto in Fishers, Indiana This Weekend

by Christopher Hodapp

This weekend, we'll have a very special occasion in the far-flung northeastern suburbs of Indianapolis. The formation of a new Masonic-related local chapter of any kind is nowhere near as commonplace as it used to be, so it's a very big deal to announce the formation of Mahrage Grotto on Saturday, August 29th!

Hamilton County is the fastest growing community in the country right now, being home to the towns of Carmel and Fishers (recently named the #1 and #2 Best Cities in America to Live by US News & World Report). Mahrage Grotto is officially chartered for Carmel, but the organizational events this weekend will be in Fishers.

To start, there will be a Chartering Weekend Kickoff this Friday, August 28th at Sun King in Fishers between 6:30 and 10:30PM. 

The invitation-only Institution Ceremony will be held Saturday Noon-3:00PM at Hamilton Lodge in Fishers (nuzzled in the soft shadows of the state's only Ikea store). The public officer's installation and chartering dinner will follow at 5:00PM at the Fishers American Legion Post 470 at 9091 E. 126th Street, and ladies are welcome. Dinner is $30 per person. 

Visit the website for reservations, but act now!

What's the Grotto, you ask? It's shorthand for a local chapter of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, one of the social groups connected to the Freemasons. (If you've heard of the Shriners, they are similar - they even wear fezzes... black ones, instead of red ones). Check out their website HERE. 

But if you're interested in joining, you must be a Master Mason in a local Masonic Lodge first. For more about that, check out BeAFreemason.com

New From the Masonic Book Club: 'The Book M or Masonry Triumphant'

by Christopher Hodapp

A new title from the Masonic Book Club (MBC) is now available for pre-publication purchase. The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant, by William Smith, with an Introduction by Ill. Arturo de Hoyos, 33°.

From the Masonic Book Club website:

In the decades following the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1717 and the publication of James Anderson’s The Constitutions of the Free-Masons (1723), Freemasonry was undergoing both consolidation and public exposure. William Smith’s The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant (1736), participated in this transition by offering a blend of history, ritual elements, and songs which reflected the increasing literate and social mobility of the Craft’s membership. The Book M is essentially a “Pocket Companion” augmented with original commentary on Northern English Masonry, “Memorables,” and ceremonial observations. This dual format, part historical narrative plus musical/occasional material, informed and entertained Brethren as well as promoting a positive self-image of the fraternity. The author was likely the same William Smith who was initiated at Swalwell Lodge (Lodge of Industry No. 48) in 1733.

Internal evidence suggests that The Book M represents the traditions of the “Harodim,” an early form of Masonry distinct from the “Moderns” (post-1717) and “Ancients” (post-1752). Some scholars suggest that the Harodim encompassed ritual elements later found in other high degrees, such as the Rose Croix, the Passing of the Bridge, and the Mark, Ark, and Link ceremonies. However, historical records indicate that the Harodim was primarily a lecture-based assembly. It preserved some of the older traditions of Masonry, including Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Enoch’s Columns, and the construction of Solomon’s Temple as part of the Fraternity’s mythology.

Although published in a relatively large edition, surviving copies are quite rare, with fewer than ten known to exist. This attractive Masonic Book Club edition, which was re-typeset for clarity, preserves the pagination and some of the engravings of the original. Some of the engravings have been reproduced or reimagined. A new introduction by Arturo de Hoyos adds a historical context and frames the book within the traditional works of the Craft.

The recently-revived Masonic Book Club works a bit differently from the way it did back in the 1970s-2000's. There are no dues. Books are announced in a pre-publication phase and a cheaper ordering price is announced (usually in the $40 range). If there's enough interest in the title, great. They'll go to press and the book will get delivered in a few months. If there aren't enough pre-orders to make it worth printing, you'll get your money back, and the book will not get printed.

So here are the gory details about The Book M or, Masonry Triumphant. The pre-publication order window will be open through Tuesday, September 8, 2026. The special MBC pre-publication price is $40. The regular retail price will be $50 once it gets printed, so he who hesitates loses ten smackers.

During the pre-publication sale period, they are also offering a limited signed edition for $55.
It's a pre-publication order and the book itself hasn't been printed yet. If the MBC receives sufficient orders during the pre-publication sale period, they expect to print in the Fall and ship in late December 2026 or early January 2027. If they DON'T receive sufficient orders, they'll refund your filthy lucre, the book will slip back into obscurity, and Art De Hoyos' work will have been in  vain.

And it'll all be your damned fault.

For more information on the book, visit https://srbookstore.myshopify.com/products/masonry-triumphant

For the lowdown on the Masonic Book Club, see my story from 2020 when it was revived at: 

The Masonic Book Club Is Reborn By AASR-SJ

 

The Loneliness of Gen Z

by Christopher Hodapp

A recent Financial Times piece by John Burn-Murdoch dug into some depressing numbers from the American Time Use Survey. According to the data, "on an average day in 2023, one in 10 young Americans aged between 23 and 29 did not spend a single minute interacting face to face with another person."

That’s not a typo. Or a rounding error. That's Zero. As in not one single person. 

And that is going to have an effect on Freemasonry going forward.

From the article, "Pandemic lockdowns never ended for some people":

"Many teens and young adults have lives that are just as socially rich today as they were a decade ago while others have become completely cut off. Back in 2019, the most socially connected quarter of young people used to spend 87 per cent of their day with other people, whether family, friends, co-workers or others. During the pandemic that dipped to 78 per cent, but it has rebounded to 83 per cent. The most isolated segment used to spend roughly a third of their day around others, but that has now collapsed to essentially zero."

But the folks at the bottom never recovered. Before Covid, the most isolated segment of young adults used to spend a third of their day around other people. But that collapsed to zero during the pandemic lockdown. 

And stayed there.

Americans today are spending more and more time staring at screens. Daily computer and social-media time for Americans rose from 25 minutes in 2015 to 37 minutes in 2025. Teenagers? They’re averaging about 90 minutes a day. And more than a third of employed people were still doing at least some of their work from home in 2025. 

"Whether we’re talking about the long shadow of pandemic lockdowns, the increasingly enthralling digital environment or intensifying academic pressure, anti-socialising forces have had radically different effects on different young people.

"Data from the UK paints a similar picture of what we might need to start calling socialising inequality. An upcoming report by the Institute for Public Policy Research finds that while the average young Briton has roughly five close friends — the same figure as in 2015, the portion with not a single close friend has shot up from one in 100 in 2015 to one in 20 today."

[snip] 

"The figures point to a corrosive coincidence of slow and fast social shifts. From the rise of remote working to self-checkouts and the displacement of bricks-and-mortar shopping by ecommerce, technology has steadily eroded the number of incidental interpersonal encounters that would typically offer even the most reserved person a baseline amount of human contact.

"At the same time, the proliferation of hyper-engaging all-you-can-eat digital media has made solitary leisure time the default, while in-person socialising becomes relatively more effortful — especially for those of a more anxious or introverted nature. While labour-saving mechanical innovations freed up more time for socialising, digital innovations have often had the opposite effect.

"Add to these slow anti-socialising background shifts the pandemic-era shock of disrupted habits and enforced solitude for many young people, and you tip some of this group into a new and damaging equilibrium from which they are struggling to escape.

"Social ties are hugely important for health and longevity, and the increasing co-occurrence of social and economic isolation makes the problem of rising youth worklessness harder to address."

None of this should surprise anyone who’s been paying attention. COVID kept a whole generation of young people inside during the very years when most of us learned how to navigate the real world with real humans. Some never fully came back out.

As Freemasons, this hits close to home. One of the quiet strengths of our Craft has always been that it pulls people out of isolation and into a room with a hopefully diverse group of other people—on purpose. Lodge is one of the last places (along with churches) where adults from all walks of life still regularly show up in person, look each other in the eye, shake hands, and talk about something more substantive than the latest algorithm feed. In a world where a growing number of young adults are going entire days and weeks without that basic human contact, the simple act of gathering in a sanctuary from the outside arguments of life still matters more than we sometimes remember.

Worth thinking about the next time you’re tempted to skip a stated meeting.

What this means to us is that we need to actively reach out to these men and to society at large with the message that Freemasonry can help them. We’re needed MORE right now than in any time over the last century.

Less than half of American kids under 18 today live in a traditional two-parent first-marriage home. More than a third live with an unmarried parent — usually a single mother — without any father or live-in male partner of ANY kind, to help raise and educate and be the male influence or role model to the children. They have fewer flesh and blood friends, and even fewer brothers and sisters, because many adults have decided one child — or none — is enough.

These demographics all hit us hard as Masons. Fewer boys have a father or grandfather to pass along family traditions like Freemasonry to them. A young man today is 40 times more likely to wind up in jail than join a fraternal organization.

A buddy of mine, Dave Hosler, once said that of all the miracles attributed to Jesus Christ, the greatest was that at 33 He had twelve good, close friends. Or at least eleven. There’s a lot of truth in that.

In a lodge, we become Brothers. Brothers aren’t just friends. Brothers live by a code. They help each other, mentor each other, stick by each other, support each other. That’s why what we take at the altar isn’t merely an oath or promise—it’s an obligation. It binds us with duty and integrity, even to strangers halfway around the world. That’s the greatest genius of our fraternity. If you live an isolated existence with almost no family, no friends, few or no co-workers, maybe in a town far away from where you grew up, in the lodge you have an extended family that's truly global. Wherever you go in the world, you will find a Brother Mason. And you're connected to a family heritage that goes back 300 years.

Let's get that message out now. There's a whole generation of men out there that desperately needs to hear it.

'National Treasure 3' Is A Definite...Maybe

by Christopher Hodapp

As the old song goes, "And tho' it's been said many times, many ways..."

No, not Merry Christmas.

Film director John Turteltaub has revealed that, after two decades, National Treasure 3 is finally "in development." According to an article last week, a script has been written and approved by himself, Disney Studios and Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and is now slowly grinding its way up the Hollywood food chain.

Turteltaub said it during a live event for the National Treasure Hunt podcast, held in Philadelphia last Friday.

Of course, he said the same thing in October last year. We've heard all this before, many times over the last 20 years. But this time, he says Nicholas Cage is officially on board again as Benjamin Franklin Gates. In fact, it looks like the whole band may be back together for #3. 

“To the extent that we can, everyone is coming back,” Turtletaub said. That likely includes Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight. Maybe even Harvey Keitel's Masonic FBI agent, Sadusky.

I hate to remind them all, but they're not getting any younger. As Turtletaub himself pointed out, any one of them could get hit by a bus.

Maybe the 250th anniversary of America's founding this year finally got the Disney bean counters thinking the Internet-sated public might come out out of the basement again for a new action adventure film with a mystery plot based in American history, the way they did 20 years ago for the first two.

Absolutely no clues were dropped concerning the release date or the plot. If you believe the entry on the Internet Movie Database, the original husband and wife writing team of Cormac and Marianne Wibberley are gone from this project. They penned the first National Treasure (2004) and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). The new credit currently lists Chris Bremner and Ted Elliott.

Bremner is a relative newcomer, with just three produced scripts to his name (Bad Boys For Life, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and The Man From Toronto). Ted Elliott has a much longer and better track record that includes blockbuster hits like the classic animated Aladdin for Disney, Shrek, and all of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. So, whether this entry includes any references and Easter eggs for us Masonic fanboys or not, it should at least be entertaining.

Masonic Assistance for June's Washington State Fires

Photo: The Sunday Guardian website 6/18/2026

by Christopher Hodapp

Back in June, wildfires in the Spokane area devastated areas in Eastern Washington state. 

To my knowledge, the Grand Lodge of Washington has not requested a Masonic Service Association Disaster Appeal. Instead, they are directly requesting donations via their own Washington Masonic Services website. 

On August 2nd, the Grand Lodge of Washington posted the following appeal for donations to help Masons who lost everything in those fires:

As we are sure you have heard, here in Eastern Washington we are experiencing significant tragedy from wildfires as they devastate the lives of countless residents in the area just Spokane Complex Fires. Businesses, citizens, and members of our Masonic Family have lost everything.

During these challenging times, let us come together as a united and resilient Masonic community. We stand in solidarity with our Brothersand their loved ones who may be grappling with loss, displacement, or uncertainty. In the true spirit of Freemasonry, let us extend our hands and hearts to offer support wherever it is needed. While material possessions can be rebuilt, the emotional wounds caused by such events can linger. Together, we can be beacons of light for each other, providing comfort, compassion, and assistance as we are able.

We must continue to live by our Masonic values, supporting one another with unwavering strength and compassion. In unity, we will overcome this trial and emerge even stronger, for that is the essence of our Brotherhood. “These generous principles extend further, for every human being has a claim upon your kind offices.” As the dedicated charitable arm of our Grand Lodge, Washington Masonic Services (WAMS) has a disaster relief fund to support those impacted by the Spokane Complex Fires:

(https://masonscare.givecloud.co/product/779AB1C/spokane-complex-fires).

Or For more information contact Edward Woods at edward@masonscare.org or (253) 267 8210

Our WAMS case managers are also seeking to contact Masons in the area to offer their assistance.

Remember the promise you made as an Entered Apprentice Mason, and please contribute as much as necessity requires, and your ability permits.

Historic French Masonic Hall Vandalized for Third Time in Seven Years

Photo: Myriam Tieulent's Facebook page

by Christopher Hodapp

As I've been warning for months, anti-Masonry would doubtless accompany the rise in anti-Semitic rage and hate crimes around the Western world.

Concorde et Persévérance Lodge is a historic lodge affiliated with the Grand Orient de France (GODF). Located in Vienne, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, and founded originally in 1781 under the name "La Concorde," it is one of the oldest lodges in the country. The Masonic hall was vandalized on the night of July 31st. Windows were broken, Nazi swastikas and SS symbols were painted on the entrance, along with anti-Jewish slogans, insults, death threats, the 666 ('Mark of the Beast'), and phrases like "Death to pedos" ("Mort aux pedos"), as in "pedophiles." (Inexplicably, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein's names were also tagged on the building in this pastiche of paranoia and hatred.) In front of the main door to the building, there was also painted a curious symbol and phrase, "The sun will rise."

This appears to be a variation of the Black Sun, or Schwarze Sonne, an emblem used by some radical neo-Nazi, supremacist and identity groups. The symbol originated at the notorious Wewelsburg castle, Heinrich Himmler's private ceremonial center for the elite officers of the SS. It's made up of the stylized double lightning bolt symbols of the SS.

Nazi ideology regarded Freemasons with as much hatred they reserved for Jews. Hitler himself said, "all Jews are Freemasons; all Freemasons are Jews," likely because of the Old Testament Solomon's Temple story that makes up the Masonic degrees. 

According to the www.vivre-villes.fr website, a door was damaged and a window smashed, but the attacker(s) didn't manage to get into the building, unlike in the 2019 incident. Blood was found on the broken window, so at least one of the vandals managed to slice himself. If authorities care enough to spend a little time and money on it, a DNA test might trace the blood to the attacker's identity. If they care.

This same lodge hall was attacked twice in 2019, and again in 2024. In the previous incidents, the building was broken into and furniture and other items were damaged, stolen or destroyed. It's unknown as to whether the two incidents are related, but the attacks all featured anti-Masonic and Nazi-related symbols. Whether the vandal involved is himself a Neo-Nazi, or simply a fanboy of Neo-Nazi hate groups is hard to say. But these are clearly escalating threats and must be taken deadly seriously.

In a statement to the press, local town councilwoman Myriam Tieulent condemned the attack, pointing out that this historic lodge was severely damaged 80 years ago by Vichy pro-Nazi supporters during World War II.

"I am shocked and worried to see that these are Nazi tags," she said. "They [recall] the horror of the Hitler regime, responsible for the genocide of Jews throughout Europe, and have no place in our city or in our Republic." 

"For several months we have been observing the multiplication of racist tags and stickers that defile the walls of our city, she added. "It is time for city hall and the police to act so that our city is no longer stained by symbols of an ideology that led to the Shoah."

Mme. Tieulent was the only local government official to speak out against the attack. Local police are investigating.

California Masonic Symposium: George Washington's Masonic Discretion August 26th

by Christopher Hodapp

George Washington is arguably the most famous Freemason in American history. His image hangs in lodge rooms around the world, he laid federal cornerstones in full Masonic regalia, and his membership is a proud part of our fraternity’s story. Yet during his lifetime, Washington almost never spoke publicly about being a Mason and actually (provably) attended less than a dozen lodge meetings. Why the deliberate silence?

That’s the central question of this year’s California Masonic Symposium: George Washington's Masonic Discretion, and it’s one worth your time, especially since it's the 250th anniversary of the founding of this nation.

When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 

Time: 7:00–9:00 PM (Pacific) 

Where: Live via Zoom (free) 

RSVP: Register here

Historian Steven C. Bullock, author of the landmark book Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the American Social Order, 1730–1840, will examine Washington’s careful separation of his public role as president from his private life as a Freemason. Bullock argues that Washington’s restraint wasn’t secrecy for its own sake—it was a deliberate choice about leadership, integrity, and the proper place of the fraternity in a new republic.

After Steven's presentation, a live panel will dig deeper. Past Grand Master John Cooper III, Inspector and educator Scott Morrison, Jr., and moderator Jhairo Echevarria (Chairman of the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education) will place Washington’s example alongside later figures such as DeWitt Clinton, the Morgan Affair, and the rise of the anti-Masonic movement. There will also be a live Q&A, so bring your questions.

Whether you’re a serious student of Masonic history, a Washington fanboy, or simply curious about how our most celebrated Brother navigated the tightrope between fraternity and public life, this promises to be a strong program. The Grand Lodge of California has a solid track record with these symposia, and this year’s topic is especially relevant this year.

Mark your calendar, grab a seat on Zoom, and join the conversation. Registration is free and open to all.

Julio Diaz Found Guilty in Arson Fires and Murder of Texas Mason

Photo: KRGV-TV5

by Christopher Hodapp

Julio Diaz has finally been found guilty in the arson fires of two Masonic lodges and the subsequent 2023 murder of Past Master Robert Wise outside of McAllen Lodge 1110 in McAllen, Texas. He now awaits sentencing.

From the KRGV-TV website on August 6th:

The verdict came after the jury deliberated for about 30 minutes. Diaz now awaits sentencing.

Prosecutors called more than two dozen witnesses during the trial. They presented surveillance video, cell phone evidence, and videos they said proved Diaz shot and killed Wise.

The defense called only one witness, a woman related to an elderly family member. Diaz was helping care for her, and she testified about a post-it note the defense said Diaz wrote, which reportedly mentioned the Freemasons and the Anunnaki.

Diaz's case dates back to July 2023. Police arrested him two days after Wise was found shot outside the McAllen Masonic Lodge.

Diaz also faced two arson charges. One is linked to a fire at the McAllen Masonic Lodge a year before Wise was shot. The second is linked to a Feb. 20, 2023, fire at the Weslaco Masonic Lodge, which destroyed the building.

Diaz chose to have the judge decide his sentence rather than the jury. His attorney spoke with Channel 5 News about that decision.

"That is largely attorney-client privilege; there are tactical reasons why the biggest reason is the health information did not come out in trial," attorney Lennard K. Whittaker said.

READ MORE: Phone evidence, claims of 'black magic' presented as state rests in McAllen murder trial

The defense said the jury never heard testimony about Diaz's mental state. Whittaker said a court-ordered neurological expert did not finish evaluating Diaz before the trial began.

"Those delusions were put in place in full view before that jury; unfortunately, we had no expert because he hadn't completed his work in time for this date," Whittaker said.

Throughout the trial, the defense repeatedly asked the judge to delay it, citing the unfinished evaluation. The judge denied those requests, noting the case had already been pending for nearly three years.

The defense will use the coming weeks to gather character letters, mental health and medical information, and other materials it believes could help the judge during sentencing. Whittaker said it is too early to know whether the defense plans to call witnesses at sentencing...

Diaz' sentencing is set for September 21st. He faces between just 5(!) and 99 years in prison.

When he was arrested and questioned back in July 2023, Julio Diaz told investigators that  Masons were "devil worshiping Illuminatists." A Facebook commenter said Diaz had previously posted anti-Masonic comments on social media, claiming the lodge "had put a curse on him." A year before the killing, the McAllen lodge was vandalized with graffiti that read: “Sorcery against the Holy Spirit and the human race must all be stoned to death.” Whether or not Diaz painted that message, it was followed by his arson attacks on the lodge and on the nearby Weslaco lodge building. And then he shot Robert Wise in the head at point blank range as members were leaving an officer's installation. 

Diaz was so proud of his actions that he captured the shooting on video and posted it on his Instagram account. The jury saw this video in the course of the trial.

According to the myRGV.com website, he told his attorney that "he didn't see Freemasons as human beings or as being of the human race." He believes Masons are reptilians. "On social media, Diaz had also said that people who are suicidal should kill Freemasons before themselves, saying people could save millions of humans depending on the degree of the witch, sorcerer or Freemason they killed."

It cannot be emphasized enough that Masons must take any and all vandalism and anti-Masonic messaging deadly seriously and report every single instance to local law enforcement. That includes threatening messages mailed to the lodge, stuck in car windows outside of meetings, or posted on lodge doors. Brother Wise's distraught family brought a million dollar lawsuit against the lodge for purchasing security cameras and outdoor lighting equipment and failing to install it in the wake of the vandalism prior to the murder. 

This admonition is not a mercenary one, but one of responsibility to our members, families and visitors. The toxic nature of anti-social media these days helps to percolate this kind of anti-Masonic sentiment, and violence is everywhere. Moreover, the alarming rise in anti-semitism that's sweeping the Western world catches Freemasons in the same net. Religious fanatics have associated Masonry with Judaism for more than two centuries, along with accusing Masons of Satanism and worse. We can ascribe these kinds of insane hatreds to madness, but madmen aren't any less dangerous just because they believe ridiculous things.

France: Verdicts Are In on the Athanor Lodge Case

Image: Le Parisien

by Christopher Hodapp

In mid-July, after more than three months of hearings and roughly 600 hours of debate, a special Paris assize court wrapped up the long-running “Athanor Affaire" trial, one of the largest criminal trials in French history.  Seventeen of the 22 defendants aged 30 through 73 were convicted of crimes tied to members of a former Masonic lodge. What appeared at first to be widely isolated incidents turned out to be part of a shockingly wide-ranging crime cell run by a tiny group of rogue Masonic lodge members who hired others to eliminate, intimidate or murder business rivals, debtors, or just annoying inconveniences. 

The most serious charges included aggravated violence, attempted extortion, murder, and attempted murder by an organized gang—which all turned out to have been plotted for wildly trivial reasons. Sentences ranged from six months suspended to 30 years’ imprisonment – heavy time for the actual organizers and the ringleader, lighter or suspended sentences for lesser roles, and five full acquittals (including the accused gunman in the 2018 killing of a race driver named Laurent Pasquali and others). Some sentences came in below the prosecution’s requests, which a few observers called a partial setback for the case.

Back in 2022, several of the alleged criminals were discovered to be members of the now defunct Athanor Lodge 759, a lodge chartered under the Grande Loge Alliance Maçonnique Française (GLAMF) and located in the Puteaux neighborhood of the Hauts-de-Seine area, about five miles west of Paris. The case blew open in 2020 when two hired hit men were arrested just before they could successfully assassinate a business competitor of a lodge officer. By the time investigators tracked down all the various business and lodge connections and associated crimes, the related criminal activities dated back to at least 2016 with the beating of a politician in Val-de-Marne.

At the center of the network were four key figures who belonged to Athanor Lodge. Clients paid, the organizers recruited enforcers and hit men (including low-level intelligence agency personnel and others), and in some cases spun elaborate fairy tales that the jobs were part of top secret state work for the DSGE (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, which translates to the Directorate General for External Security, the French intelligence agency analogous to the American CIA). The four principal members were: 

• Frédéric Vaglio (ex-journalist and communicator turned economic intelligence investigator), the mastermind of the gang who actually brought in the contracts, was sentenced to 25 years. He had ordered Daniel Beaulieu to arrange the murder of Marie-Hélène Dini, a competitor in Vaglio's consulting business, in 2020. 
• Daniel Beaulieu (former interior intelligence/DCRI-DGSI officer) was the chief organizer of the Athanor gang. Before retiring in 2009, he spent most of his career as a police officer in general intelligence (RG), eventually rising to be Deputy Head of Division at the DCRI (Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence, now DGSI). According to press accounts, the judge stated: "The court considered that you were the linchpin without whom nothing would have been possible." He received the toughest sentence at 30 years, and the fact that he had been a former police officer contributed to his harshest term. Throughout their trial, he and Vaglio had blamed each other for their crimes. Beaulieu, 73, is in poor health after attempting suicide last year while awaiting trial in prison, which left him disabled and with "impaired concentration." 
• Sébastien Leroy: (Past Venerable Master of the lodge) was "the muscle" involved in the most violent acts, from beating elected officials all the way back to the 2018 murder of a race car driver, Laurent Pasquali (whose body was later found buried). Beaulieu passed Dini's hit contract to Leroy, a private security officer, who recruited two young DGSE guards, Pierre Bourdin and Carl Esnault. The guards believed they were being recruited to carry out authorized homicide operations for French intelligence by pretending it was a secret intelligence mission against a Mossad agent for "national security" reasons. Leroy was sentenced to 27 years in prison, five years more than the prosecution had requested. 
• Jean-Luc Bagur: found guilty of complicity in the attempted murder of Dini and sentenced to 16 years. Investigators eventually connected a link in the case to Bagur, 69, who was a rival business consultant to Dini and the Venerable Maitre (Venerable Master, the French equivalent to Worshipful Master) of Athanor Lodge.
  These four core members allegedly abused the structure and 'secrecy' of the lodge for what prosecutors called a “PME du crime” — a criminal small business providing paid “services” ranging from intimidation and industrial espionage to assault and murder. 

For those in the press and online with a bone to pick against the Freemasons and who want to use this sensational case to smear the whole fraternity: When lurid allegations regarding the lodge were first brought to the attention of the Grand Lodge, it was immediately dissolved and its accused members suspended or expelled. These were individual criminal convictions. The court judged specific people for specific acts. Neither Freemasonry as an institution, the GLAMF, nor every member of the former Athanor lodge was on trial or found guilty. One small group of individuals allegedly abused their lodge connections for private criminal profit. That does not make the Craft, or French Masonry generally, responsible.

The case covered acts mainly from 2018–2022, including:

• The 2018 murder of rally race driver Laurent Pasquali, whose body was later found buried). The alleged assassin was acquitted over lack of concrete evidence; the couple who had purportedly approached the Athanor group to kill Pasquali over a bad debt was also acquitted because the court found they had not provably ordered his killing.
• Failed assassination plots against business coach Marie-Hélène Dini and union activist Hassan Touzani.
• Various assaults, a vehicle arson, theft and espionage-style jobs, and related conspiracy charges.

An investigator asked Vaglio how many murder contracts he had been involved in. "The total number can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and only one murder actually came to fruition."

The activities were revealed after two DGSE-linked men were arrested in 2020 near Dini’s home while preparing her assassination. The core Masonic group preyed on public misconceptions of what Masonry is. What became clear throughout the trial was the way the Athanor lodge group abused Freemasonry's teachings of secrecy as a symbol of honor to convince gullible men that it was a recruiting front for the French espionage services. One of the most alarming aspects of the case was that the legitimate DGSE agency did not immediately get in front of the story and deny that it really was plotting the killing of a female Israeli Mossad agent, especially on French soil. They seemed just as content to keep up the public perception that they were engaging in murderous espionage as the Athanor Lodge group was to promote their own phony image as spooky spy masters.

For regular Freemasons, the takeaway is straightforward and unflattering: a handful of people in one lodge used the fraternal setting and membership contacts as cover and recruitment ground for a for-profit crime ring. French Masonry as a whole was not on trial, but the episode has already fueled the usual “secret society gone rogue” commentary. There were just enough members of Athanor Lodge in the law enforcement, security and intelligence-gathering world to furiously stoke the fires of the "dirty cops in the Freemasons!" media headlines and the conspiracy monger universe. 

The lodge itself is gone, the convictions are on the books, and it's only a matter of time before we see the effects on the fraternity and on public perceptions of Masonry.

About Athanor Lodge 759 and the Grande Loge Alliance Maçonnique Française (GLAMF)

Athanor Lodge 759 was legitimately chartered by the Grande Loge de l'Alliance Maçonnique Française (the Grand Lodge of the French Masonic Alliance, or GL-AMF), which was created in its present form in 2012. At the time, that grand lodge was largely formed by some 15,000 disgruntled Masons who had split from the Grand Loge National Français (GLNF) over a massive internal power struggle involving then-GLNF Grand Master Stifani. (see HERE for beginnings of that long tale). The GLNF is the French grand lodge overwhelmingly recognized throughout the world as regular, and the 2012 incident was an enormous upheaval at the time. It took years for the dust to settle, and the GLNF was never able to return to its former size.

The GL-AMF today has about 15,400 members in 684 lodges, and a strong argument can be made that they are perfectly regular in origin. In other words, it's not some small-time, bogus grand lodge masquerading as something it isn't. Like all regular, recognized grand lodge obediences, they admit only men, require a belief in God, and work accepted rituals. So, Athanor Lodge started out as a legit lodge of Freemasons. But like the old P2 lodge scandal with gangster/terrorist Licio Gelli in Italy back in the 1980s, it got twisted into someone's private hideout for criminals.

When these stories began to hit the news six years ago, I'm told that GL-AMF Grand Master Fred Picavet suspended the lodge and all of its members, including two of those currently indicted. Online chatter in France is that the lodge's Venerable Maitre, Jean-Luc Bagur, was suspended back in 2020, even before any of these stories came out, for non-payment of dues, and that he went right on running the lodge meetings, ignoring the order. My understanding its that all of the former lodge members accused in the Athanor Affaire case were suspended by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master and will be subsequently be tried for expulsion now that the verdicts are all in from the court case.

MSA Disaster Relief Appeal: Venezuela Earthquake

by Christopher Hodapp

NOTE: A glitch that was temporarily preventing online credit card donations has been fixed and the site is working properly.

The following urgent disaster appeal was sent out today by Mark Tabbert, Administrator of the Masonic Service Association of North America:

Photo: UPI

Venezuela Earthquake Disaster Relief Appeal

On 24 June 2026 two large earthquakes struck northwestern and central Venezuela, both centered in San Felipe, Yaracur. Currently hundreds of thousands are homeless, more than 5,000 were killed at least 16,500 are injured, and tens of thousands remain missing.

As of 17 July, at least five brother Masons with 300 relatives of brothers were also killed. Thousands more have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their worldly possessions. Lastly, the Grand Lodge Temple in Caracas, built in 1873, was severely damaged.

As Brothers of the Craft, let us remember that adversity only strengthens our international bonds.

Let us also use this moment to reflect on the fragility of life and the importance of being prepared, not just physically, but also in terms of the support systems we offer to one another.

José Gregorio Sardelli Bravo Grand Master Grand Lodge of the Republic of Venezuela has requested the Masonic Service Association of North America (MSA) to issue this Disaster Relief Appeal. The MSANA Board of Commissioners has endorsed this request.

If you choose to give to this appeal please forward any donations you feel appropriate to help our devastated Brothers and their families in this stricken grand jurisdiction to MSANA.

Please make checks payable to MSA Disaster Relief Appeal and mail to:

Masonic Service Association
813 1st Avenue SE, Suite 357
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

ONLINE DONATIONS : https://msana.com/current-appeals/

When remitting by check, please clearly mark that you wish the funds to go to the Venezuela Earthquake Relief Appeal.

Sincerely, 

Mark A. Tabbert, PM

Administrator

Masonic Service Association of North America 

The 1873 Grand Lodge building in Caracas, Venezuela before the earthquake

Main temple in the Grand Lodge building in Caracas, Venezuela

The Masonic Service Association is usually the best and most effective way to provide financial assistance to Masons in disaster-stricken areas. 

If you are new to the fraternity or have never heard of the MSANA, it is a legitimate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. That is important to remember, especially if you, your company, or foundation are making a large donation and are in need of a tax deduction in return. The charitable arm of the Masonic Service Association was specifically established for the purpose of raising tax deductible donations, and to effectively distribute and account for the funds provided to Masons who receive assistance. Your entire donation will be sent to the affected jurisdiction. MSA deducts nothing for administrative expenses or expenses of any kind. Meaning if you donate $100.00, all $100.00 gets to the specific grand lodge issuing the appeal.

MSANA appeals are always done at the specific request of an affected Masonic jurisdiction when a catastrophe strikes. When donating through an MSA appeal you can be sure the money is officially going directly to the jurisdiction that requested it, which may not always be the case with a GoFundMe appeal or similar services. GoFundMe donations are not by law tax deductible because the IRS has no way of knowing how the money was raised, how it was spent, what may have been promised or given in return, and no way of peering into the accounting of whomever set it up. The IRS has very strict rules about tax deductible charities, and GoFundMe-type services don't even attempt to comply. And even if a legitimate lodge or grand lodge sets up such an appeal through GoFundMe, they can't issue a legit 501(c)(3) deduction to the donors unless they have their own charitable foundation or corporation that already does comply with the IRS. 

July 18: Speaking at Ohio Masonic Education Event This Saturday

by Christopher Hodapp

I'll be speaking this Saturday, July 18th at Ohio's 6th Masonic District's Pillars of Knowledge event. This Masonic educational gathering will be held at J.B. Covert Lodge No. 437 on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio, between 8AM and 3PM.

Six speakers will be featured:

• Chris Hodapp (Dummy)
• Dan Hrinko (author of 'The Craft Driven Lodge')
• William Carter III (PGM and Cybersecurity Expert)
• Dirk Hughes (Director of the Michigan Masonic Museum and Library)
• Tim Redick (Associate Dean off the Royal Schofield Society)
• Michael Miller ((Master of the Ohio Lodge of Research)

Registration is $30 and lunch is included.  Visit the website HERE to register. 

(Not enough time to pre-register? Any Master Mason is welcome to attend and registrations will also be held onsite beginning at 8AM)

The lodge is located at 848 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45245. 

Break-In and Arson at Pennsylvania Shrine Center

by Christopher Hodapp

A 72-year old man has been arrested for setting fire to a Shrine Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania, causing well over $130,000 in damages.

This site is sadly becoming a repository for stories of vandalism against the fraternity.

James Kaufman, 72

According to local TV station WTAJ, James Kaufman (photo) was said by local authorities to have been undergoing a 'mental health crisis" and believed his daughter was being held inside Altoona's enormous Jaffa Shrine Center against her will. Early Tuesday morning, he broke inside and began busting windows and destroying furniture. Neighbors heard the noise and called police. Kaufman had obviously come prepared and apparently spent some time in the building, as investigators found Shrine items in his car.  They discovered kerosene had been spread and set alight in the main arena and auditorium. 

Kaufman is charged with Risking a Catastrophe, Arson, Burglary and many associated charges. Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.

This may very well just be an unfortunate man suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's. But it would be unwise to ignore the possibility of a deliberate anti-Masonic attack. The recent increase in these kinds of incidents - and worse - throughout North America over the last couple of years needs to be brought attention to local police. Local law enforcement may not always be aware that Masons and Shriners are on a growing number of hit lists of paranoids, Jew-haters, or zealous religious fanatics who think we're devil worshipers, and worse. If your Masonic hall or Shrine center is attacked, be sure to alert investigators as to the dangers of these nuts.

GL of Scotland Joins Britain's Council of Freemasonry To Fight Anti-Masonry

by Christopher Hodapp

The male-only Grand Lodge of Scotland has joined with the United Grand Lodge of England and England's female Freemasons in a cooperative organization to address urgent contemporary issues facing the fraternity at large. The Council of Freemasonry was established in 2024 as a cooperative organization and now represents most of the Masons, male and female, in Great Britain when it comes to certain public matters. The purpose is for Britain's Masons to publicly speak with one united voice on matters that concern them all.

In Monday's The Herald, it was reported:

The [Council of Freemasonry] includes the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF), the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (HFAF), and now the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Created in 2024, the council aims to strengthen collaboration between the organisations while promoting shared values including integrity, friendship, respect and service.

Its work focuses on public engagement, charitable projects, membership growth and challenging outdated perceptions of Freemasonry.

The inclusion of Scotland means the council now represents Freemasonry across the whole of Great Britain.

The article mistakenly calls the Council a 'governing' body, which it is not. It was formed two years ago, specifically in the face of anti-Masonic press coverage and a growing anti-Masonic sentiment within law enforcement. A recent rule passed by the London Metropolitan Police dramatically encroaches on the privacy of Masons on the force, requiring officers to publicly state their current or prior Masonic membership. Such rules were found to be discriminatory by the European Court of Human Rights almost 20 years ago, but English courts see no fault with them. 

The MET's new policy singles out the Freemasons as the sole organization in which officers must declare their membership. Worse, it classifies Masonic membership as a "declarable association, along with criminal convictions, those who have been dismissed from policing, and lawful professions such as private investigation or journalism."

Branding certain cops as Masons now opens officers up to completely unfounded allegations that they might somehow engage in funny business like cronyism, letting off 'brother' criminals or ignoring 'brother' officers' bad behavior, promoting Masonic officers over non-Masons, or looking the other way in cases strictly because they might sit in lodge together.

Despite decades of investigating the purported role of secret Masonic membership in high profile police cases, there has never been a proven incident tied to the Freemasons. Tons of allegations and millions of pounds expended hunting dirty Masons under the bedclothes, but never a shred of evidence. But that hasn't stopped other disgruntled cops and sensationalistic news outlets from falsely alleging all sorts of nefarious behavior among Masons in law enforcement ever since the 1980s.

The Council for Freemasonry announced its purpose in 2024 when it was formed:

The establishment of the Council for Freemasonry will formally establish an overarching forum for collaboration. In addition, the Council will bring together the community service ambitions of all three bodies, coordinate communication and engagement with other organisations, drive the membership growth ambitions, particularly for women Freemasons, and allocate resources and facilities for the general benefit of both male and female Freemasonry.

The Council will include the heads of each Grand Lodge, and each Grand Lodge will provide the President for a twelve-month period, chairing Council meetings in strict rotation. The President for the first two years will come from the OWF and HFAF, with UGLE covering the third year. 

The formation of the Council for Freemasonry in England and Wales marks a pivotal step towards enhancing cooperation, addressing misconceptions, and promoting the values of Freemasonry. This historic initiative reaffirms Freemasonry’s commitment to integrity, friendship, respect and service, while keeping community service and charitable giving at the absolute forefront of this historic organisation.

For those who might fret about such an announcement, none of this affects the regularity nor the recognition status of either the UGLE or the Grand lodge of Scotland as male-only Masonic fraternities. It should be remembered by U.S. Masons that Freemasonry in Britain and Europe , along with many other parts of the world, face challenges and biases of which we are blissfully unaware here. One of the primary jobs of the Council for Freemasonry is to counter public misinformation and press attacks against the fraternity by spreading the message that English Freemasonry is NOT just for men; that male and female Masonic organizations coexist, and are all alive and well and open for membership; and that none of these three grand lodges in Britain have any desire, intention, or reason for changing their practices or ideology of being a sanctuary from the outside world for their particular members, male or female.