Arrests in Pennsylvania and West Virginia In Separate Anti-Masonic, Anti-Semitic Attacks

Photo: WGAL-TV8

by Christopher Hodapp

A pair of disturbing cases involving threats against Freemasons have surfaced in Pennsylvania and West Virginia — both within the space of just a few days of each other.

In Pennsylvania, police say 37-year-old Joshua Albert Reisinger (photo) of Mountville carried out a bizarre weeks-long campaign against two Masonic halls involving dead animals, cryptic messages and other objects left outside the buildings. Reisinger has now also been charged in connection with antisemitic signs and an apparent threat against a congregant at a Lancaster-area synagogue.

According to Steelton Borough Police, officers began investigating a series of incidents at Paxton Lodge No. 16 (PHA) in Steelton between August 15 and September 20. Someone repeatedly left bizarre objects at or near the lodge that included balloons, spray-painted shoes, a doll bust, playing cards, feathers, candles, hair, written messages and riddles — along with the carcasses of a cat, crow, squirrel and raccoon. Several messages contained language that lodge members regarded as vague or implied threats, and police said the repeated incidents, particularly around scheduled lodge activities, caused increasing concern for members' safety. 

According to their Facebook page, Paxton Lodge is the oldest Prince Hall subordinate Lodge in the state outside of Philadelphia.

Then police learned that Millersville Masonic Lodge No. 476, roughly 40 miles away, had been experiencing remarkably similar incidents. That lodge reportedly had been vandalized repeatedly during August, and Millersville police had already identified Reisinger as a suspect in that investigation. After representatives of the two lodges compared photographs and information, investigators connected the cases.

Reisinger was taken into custody following a traffic stop in Steelton and initially faced charges including terroristic threats, harassment, loitering and prowling at night, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and scattering rubbish. 

But his story didn't end with the Masonic lodges.

Lancaster Township Police subsequently charged Reisinger with ethnic intimidation, terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct after incidents at Degel Israel Congregation, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue and school in Lancaster Township. Police allege that on September 19 and 20 Reisinger placed derogatory and antisemitic signs on the synagogue property, including one displaying a Nazi SS symbol. According to investigators, when a congregant began removing one of the signs, he spotted Reisinger sitting in a vehicle across the street. Reisinger allegedly formed his hand into the shape of a pistol, pointed it at the congregant and mimed shooting him. The congregant obtained the vehicle's registration number, helping police identify the suspect.

Reisinger's targets of both Masonic lodges and a Jewish synagogue seem to fall in line with the increase in both anti-semitic and anti-Masonic conspiracism being spread throughout social media. 

Reisinger was arrested again on October 2. A district judge set bail at $100,000, which police said he was unable to post, and he was ordered held in the Lancaster County Prison pending a preliminary hearing.

Meanwhile, several hundred miles southwest in Buckhannon, West Virginia, another 37-year-old man was arrested following an explicitly anti-Masonic threat posted on Facebook. The Upshur County Sheriff's Office charged Justin Sayre (photo below) with threats of terrorist acts and making threats of a crime of violence after investigators say he participated in an online discussion concerning Flock automated license-plate-reader cameras.

Justin Sayre

According to the sheriff's report quoted by WDTV, Sayre called for the cameras to be destroyed and described local police officers as terrorists and "mules for the free masons up there at lodge 7," adding that "they need taken out too." "Lodge 7" appears to be a reference to Franklin Lodge No. 7 in Buckhannon, one of West Virginia's oldest Masonic lodges. Franklin Lodge has been part of the Buckhannon community since the nineteenth century and was among the original lodges involved in organizing the Grand Lodge of West Virginia after the Civil War.

Investigators said Sayre's Facebook account contained extensive anti-law-enforcement rhetoric and that the combination of those posts with the direct threat caused public alarm. He was being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on $35,000 cash-only bond following his arrest.

These two cases do not appear to be connected. But for Masonic organizations, the timing is difficult to ignore. Whether these latest incidents ultimately prove to have been driven by anti-Masonic conspiracy theories, personal grievances, generalized extremism or something else will be for investigators and courts to determine. But they join a steadily growing collection of incidents in which Masonic buildings and Freemasons have become targets for people who regard the fraternity not as an innocuous civic organization, but as some sinister enemy that must be confronted.

And that is no longer something lodge officers can simply laugh off.

Texas Man Sentenced to Life for Masonic Lodge Murder

by Christopher Hodapp

NOTE: This story has been corrected. The KREG-TV5 news report mistakenly said that the Llano Grande Lodge 1173 building in Westlaco had been destroyed by Diaz's arson attack in 2023. It was damaged, but not destroyed. My apologies for the error. CH

Yesterday, after three years of investigations and courtroom proceedings, Julio Diaz was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Freemason Robert Wise. WBro. Wise, 55, was shot at point-blank range and killed by Diaz outside McAllen Lodge 1110 in July 2023. He shot a video of the killing and posted it on his social media page.

Previously, Diaz set fire to the Masonic lodge buildings in McAllen in 2022, and Weslaco (located about 20 miles east) on February 20, 2023.  He was sentenced to two additional 50 years terms for each of those arson convictions, running concurrently.

Brother Robert Wise, 55,

(Photos: McAllen Lodge 1110 Facebook page)

When he was arrested, Diaz told investigators that he believed Masons to be "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."

WBro. Wise's widow was given the opportunity in court to confront Diaz for the first time.

From the report by KRGV-TV5:

"My husband Robert was not, was not your choice to take. That was not your choice. I had just seen him 15 minutes before you shot him. Yeah, you go ahead and yawn," Sanchez said.

She then turned to Diaz's mother, the one person who, like her, sat through the case from the other side of the courtroom. Sanchez told Diaz she had thought about what his actions had done to his mother too.

Diaz answered back.

"And she's the only one you didn't think about of who's going to take care of her," Sanchez said.

"I did think of her," Diaz said.

"No, you didn't," Sanchez said.

“She's very proud of you. You think you're very smart. Look at where you're at now," Sanchez said.

"Perfect," Diaz said.

KRGV-TV reports Diaz will remain in jail for several weeks before transfer to state prison. His attorney is awaiting a court-ordered neurological report and may seek a new trial or raise the issue of Diaz' mental health on appeal. But for now, he's behind bars.

Ever since the COVID lockdowns, there has been an alarming increase throughout the U.S. and Canada in incidents of vandalism and arson against Masonic halls by admitted paranoid anti-Masonic extremists and conspiracists. Anti-Masonic sentiments online seem to be on the rise, with a greater sense of distrust and hate directed at the fraternity.

We must all be extremely cautious regarding security in and around our buildings going forward. That means monitored surveillance cameras, locked outer doors during events, and vigilant Tylers who probably shouldn't be on the lodge room side of the door during meetings, I'm sad to say.

Equally important, law enforcement officials need to be informed by us every time there are threats or acts of vandalism and violence directed at us – police departments and individual officers can't be automatically expected to realize that anti-Masonic hatred is a very real syndrome lurking out in the general population.

Indianapolis Masonic Buildings Vandalized

by Christopher Hodapp

Both the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple/Freemasons Hall were vandalized this morning by a man wielding a hammer and intent on covering them with graffiti. 

Lynn Andrew Jackson was taken into custody Monday 

(Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department photo)

As of this writing, Lynn Andrew Jackson, 29, was in police custody, charged with misdemeanor vandalism, but authorities are inexplicably resisting charging him with a hate crime.

A little after 10:00AM, Jackson began spray-painting bizarre messages and an unusual, unidentified symbol on limestone walls and heavy wooden doors on the west, north and east sides of the landmark Scottish Rite Cathedral. At the Meridian Street main entry, he oainted messages and took a hammer to one of the Cathedral's many magnificent stained glass windows.

At one point, he attempted to enter the building and asked to take a tour inside, but was turned away by the security guard, because the Cathedral doesn't offer Monday tours. He headed south, pausing to hurl his hammer through a second stained glass window that depicts the 16th degree. 

Cathedral superintendent Tom Fallis told the press that the window damage alone could cost $50,000 apiece to repair.

Crossing North Street, he continued his nonsensical graffiti spree on the cornerstone of the 1909 Indianapolis Masonic Temple and Freemasons Hall, and all along the east wall facing the Pierson Street alley.

By an unfortunate set of circumstances, the south door of the Temple had been momentarily propped open for a package delivery, and Jackson was able to enter the south entry hall, where he continued spray-painting antique photos, marble wall panels and more. In the lobby he sprayed a statue and the front of the welcome desk before being confronted by the security officer.

He had expressed his intent to get to the 5th floor Masonic Library & Museum.

When the guard asked what his reason was for vandalizing the building, he yelled, 'All Masons must die and be thrown into a grave!' while adding that his damage didn't matter, because the 'Masons have millions to fix it with.'

Bizarrely enough, he voluntarily exited the building, sat down on the south steps, and calmly waited for police to arrive, saying he had accomplished what he set out to do. He was taken into custody and booked for 'misdemeanor vandalism under $50,000' and 'intimidation.' 

Despite his 'Masons must die!' threat, there is no hate crime charge as of yet, and it doesn't sound like police have any inclination to investigate it as such, despite the increase in anti-Masonic attacks all around the world over the last few years. I've reported on these attacks many times now, but apparently we don't fall into a neat little protected class authorities commonly cite. The English press keep alleging that police departments are filled with secret Freemasons. If that were really true, these criminals would be charged with hate crimes without question.

Meanwhile, it seems the anti-Masonic conspiracy theories are exponentially increasing in number, intensity, and looniness. As I said in one interview with a TV station today, the Internet is a megaphone for bad ideas. Before we spoke to the press today, our Temple board had a brief meeting to discuss whether we should go public with the story or not. By going on TV, we risk inspiring copycats. But remaining silent can be even more dangerous because the public and our own members need to be aware that Freemasons are under increasing threats of vandalism, and much worse. None of us want to scare the public or our own members away from attending lodge functions. But we have got to raise awareness so that both our members and our neighbors can remain vigilant. And we need to remind our communities that we are alive and well and we remain committed to them. Our goal is to improve society by improving one man at a time through brotherhood, mentoring and enduring friendships. And we are one of the very few sanctuaries where men of every race, religion, political persuasion, economic, and educational level can sit down together in harmony and share what we have in common. In a world that seems hell bent on keeping us all divided and at each other‘s throats, we still believe in the mission of making good men into better ones.

Cost of the damage to our two buildings is not yet known. Unfortunately, stronger security measures will have to be enforced, which absolutely flies in the face of our desire to welcome the public in and tell the story of Freemasonry to as many people as we can. Our magnificent buildings were designed from the very start to be standing beacons of our fraternity to our communities, and none of us want to be forced to lock them down and make them into fortresses. Sadly, there is no easy answer.

Many people have asked how to help financially. By permission of Grand Master John Bridegroom, the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana has set up a donation link to a special fund that will be evenly shared between the Scottish Rite Cathedral Foundation and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple, specifically for the restoration of the damage caused by this unfortunate incident. Use the QR code below to donate:

Meanwhile, our local news coverage was widespread this evening. The Indianapolis Star sent a reporter, as did every TV station and news radio WIBC-FM93. Just because I want to log them all in one place for my own future reference, I'll link to them all below.

Local press interviews Eric Vermeulen, Director of the Masonic Home Foundation

WIBC-FM 93

An Indianapolis Masonic site was vandalized Monday morning. A hammer was thrown through stained glass at the Scottish Rite before the same man spray-painted the Masonic Museum & Library and yelled, “All Freemasons should die.”
IMPD arrested the man on vandalism and intimidation… pic.twitter.com/XzXKRD7CWt

— 93 WIBC Indianapolis (@93wibc) August 31, 2026

WXIN Fox59 

WTHR-13

WISH-TV8

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

See vandalism at Indianapolis Masonic Temple, Scottish Rite Cathedral

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.

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.

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.

Ontario Masonic Hall Vandalized With Anti-Masonic Graffiti

by Christopher Hodapp

Authorities in Burlington, Ontario are seeking information regarding an unknown tagger who vandalized the local Masonic hall Sunday early morning by spray painting a phony Albert Pike 'Luciferian' quotation on the side of the building.

From the BurlingtonToday.com website today:

On the wall of the building that faces Maria Street, an unknown tagger left a message for the group that some believe to have powerful connections.

“The doctrine of Freemasonry is to be maintained in the Luciferian doctrine at high degrees,” the graffiti reads, crediting the words to Albert Pike, a 19th century American poet and lawyer who was also a Mason. The graffiti also suggests that Pike predicted the World Wars. . .

These bogus lines are widely circulated on the Intertubz and falsely attributed to Pike. They are, in fact, taken directly from the infamous 'Taxil Hoax' perpetrated by 'Leo Taxil' (whose real name was Marie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès), a rabid French anti-Catholic and anti-Mason in the late 19th century. Taxil made a tidy profit peddling propaganda about the Masons for many years. 

Taxil singlehandedly invented the whole 'Luciferian Freemasonry' fable and gleefully went on to later admit it was all a hoax in a very public appearance on April 19, 1897. (For what it's worth, Albert Pike wrote precisely one passage in Morals & Dogma that explained the origin of the name 'Lucifer' and how it came to be attributed to 'Satan" over the centuries.) 

The truth about Taxil's hoax has been quite openly known for 130 years, but that hasn't stopped its wide dissemination on the web since the 1980s and 90s. Meanwhile, Pike's so-called 'world wars' prediction is a more relatively recent addition to the anti-Masonic repertoire and is a complete fabrication. It's not true, either. (For more details about Taxil and his hoax, see Tall Tales of Leo Taxil HERE)

The story continues:

Halton Regional Police told BurlingtonToday that the suspect was observed at 3:05 a.m. (July 5) with spray paint, and is described as a white man, medium build, wearing a straw cowboy hat, a dark jacket, white tee shirt, and shorts. He was also riding a bicycle.

VandenBerg said this is not the first time that the building has been tagged, but it is the first time to his knowledge that the Masons were specifically targeted in the message.

“We have been tagged before but that has been just generic graffiti that could have happened anywhere,” he said.

Documents and sacred texts have been dropped in the lodge mailbox, even being laminated at times, VanderBerg said, including an encyclopedia of Jewish texts that was left at the back door of the building. The building has been egged, and many more instances of vandalism came to mind for VandenBerg.

He added that the group added a stone marker to the outside of the building which has been urinated on previously, but he is unsure if that was related to the organization.

“Maybe it was the same person,” he said. “Maybe that was the first thing they did and now they are back to spray paint the building a few months later.”

Despite the long history of Burlington Masons' commitment to serving their community and contributing to local charities, this is the sort of idiotic attack that sometimes discourages lodges from being more public faced. And as we've seen in recent years, certain extremely unhinged anti-Masonic zealots are known to escalate their attacks on members and lodge halls. The McAllen Lodge incident in Texas is a horrifying example of what can happen when anti-Masons taken their paranoid hatred to the worst extremes.

If your lodge is vandalized in any way, especially if you suspect the motive was anti-Masonic in nature, you should report it immediately to local authorities. Attacks against Masons and lodges need to be on the radar screen for police and well documented because, as we've seen, the true nuts are sometimes fully capable and motivated to come back again.

Rise In Anti-Semitism May Bring More Anti-Masonic Attacks With It

by Christopher Hodapp

Weekend vandalism at the Oleeta-West Dade Masonic Center in Miami Springs, Florida, is a stark reminder that Masonic buildings—and the Brothers who gather in them—are increasingly becoming targets in today's volatile climate.

Late last week (Friday night into early Saturday morning), surveillance video captured a young man climbing onto a low roof ledge to reach and badly damage two exterior signs at the Masonic center. The footage, shared by WSVN-TV7, shows the suspect pulling himself up to get at the sign and twist one expensive sign off the wall. Damage has been estimated at around $3,000. 

Thankfully, Miami Springs police acted quickly: 20-year-old Brian Guanche was charged with one count of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and one count of criminal mischief. He's since bonded out, but the incident is under investigation.

This wasn't some random act of mischief—it's part of a troubling pattern. Over the last few years, there has been a noticeable uptick in violent attacks, arsons, and vandalism against Masonic buildings around the world, with more than a few tied directly to antisemitic motives. We've seen lodges targeted in places like Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and even Vancouver (where one arsonist hit three buildings in a single morning, causing millions in damage). Overseas, halls in Ireland and Greece have faced similar assaults, and doubtless there have been many more that simply have not hit the news services. Some perpetrators have acted out of bizarre delusions—like believing Masons placed curses on them or controlled minds—while others have been fueled by outright hatered.

That hate often bleeds over from the dramatic and alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the United States (and beyond) in recent months, especially since the outbreak of the war involving Iran. Unfortunately, Freemasonry is getting swept up in the crossfire. Our symbolism—drawing from ancient Jerusalem, King Solomon's Temple, and Old Testament imagery—has been twisted into anti-Jewish conspiracy theories since the 19th century. It doesn't help when historical figures like Pope Leo XIII, influenced by the admitted hoaxes of anti-Catholic prankster Léo Taxil in the 1880s-90s, lumped Masons in with phrases like "Synagogue of Satan" (originally from the New Testament letters, referring to persecutors of early Christians who falsely claimed Jewish identity). Leo clearly bought into the nonsense that a bunch of middle-aged Protestant gentlemen cosplaying as Old Testament figures in ritual were somehow undermining the Church. That old canard still echoes today.

And right now, it's getting amplified by noisy voices with big platforms. Candace Owens, who has somehow amassed nearly three million YouTube subscribers by peddling increasingly outrageous claims, has ramped up her attacks on Freemasonry. Owens (a recent convert to Catholicism) is a certifiable attention-seeker at this point, jumping on every fringe theory that drives clicks and eyeballs—whether it's moon landings, celebrity deaths tied to "sacrifices," or wild Masonic plots. 

Similarly, Shawn Ryan has leaned into kookball anti-Masonic conspiracy content on his show, hosting guests who push debunked nonsense about "Masonic Bibles" and secret influences. Countless lesser imitators follow suit online.

I don't care where you fall on the political spectrum—left, right, or somewhere in the never-never land in between. Spreading this stuff is dangerous. My wife and I wrote a book on conspiracy theories years ago, and Owens is a textbook example of madness given a megaphone and free rein on the internet. There's no filter of responsibility anymore: anybody can launch a podcast, build a persona, and attract an audience of the credulous or the angry by using sensationalistic 'made you look' tactics. There are no qualifications required. People who swallow her brand of "research" don't just nod along—they act. We've already seen real-world consequences, including threats, violence, attacks on our buildings, and worse. 

Texas Freemason Robert Wise was murdered outside of his lodge in 2023 precisely because of this delusional thinking. His killer told police that he shot Wise because Masons were "devil worshiping Illuminatists."

With geopolitical tensions boiling over and antisemitism surging, we have to be vigilant. Masonic temples aren't fortresses, but Brothers and lodge officers need to take practical steps: review security cameras, lighting, and alarms; coordinate with local law enforcement; avoid leaving valuables or regalia visible; and report suspicious activity immediately. Most of these incidents happen at night when buildings are empty, so proactive measures can make a real difference.

Freemasonry has endured worse for centuries, and we'll keep doing what we do—meeting in peace, practicing brotherly love and relief, and building better men. But ignoring the threats won't make them disappear. Stay aware, stay safe, and let's look out for one another.

If you're a Mason reading this, talk to your lodge about security. If you're not, but you value fair-minded institutions that promote charity and moral improvement, know that the same bigots targeting synagogues and Jewish communities are increasingly turning their gaze toward Masonic halls too.

He's Back – Pike Statue Restored in Washington DC

Photo: Fox News

by Christopher Hodapp - (Revised 10/30/2025, 2:00AM)

The bronze statue of Scottish Rite sage Albert Pike has been restored by the National Parks Service and put back in place in Judiciary Square in Washington, D.C. after being defaced and toppled during George Floyd-related protests in 2020. The restoration was carried out by the NPS under President Trump's executive orders on "Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful" and "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History."

In a statement, the NPS said, "The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic-preservation law and recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and restore pre-existing statues."

Pike was originally placed in this general vicinity across the street from the original Supreme Council headquarters of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite - Southern Jurisdiction in 1901. He lived in the building for many years and the statue was erected to honor his scholarship and long leadership within the fraternity of Freemasonry.

Pike's statue was considered controversial by some because he was compelled by Southern leaders to serve for just five months in the Confederate Army when he lived in Arkansas. But despite press accounts and inflammatory rhetoric to the contrary, this was never a 'confederate statue.' It celebrated his lifetime of accomplishments, prominently highlighting his scholarship in the Scottish Rite. The only reference to his military record appears in the list of his achievements: 'author, poet, scholar, soldier, jurist, orator, philanthropist and philosopher.' And calling him a soldier arguably covers his time in the 1840s spent fighting for the United States in the Mexican American War far more than his time in the Confederate Army. The sculpture does not depict him in a military uniform, nor is he seen even wearing a sword. Instead, he holds in his hand a copy of his masterwork, Morals and Dogma, a vast volume of philosophy, religious ideas, and Masonic idealism.

In previous times, statues were erected to people we called heroes because they were considered role models who accomplished great things, in spite of their flaws. Men like Albert Pike were unique, and he was certainly far greater than the brief episode at the Battle of Pea Ridge, a job he neither sought nor really wanted. And after Pike's Indian troops scalped their Union soldier captives in violation of his orders, he resigned his commission in disgust and went back to practicing law. As for allegations that he was involved in the creation of the post-Civil War Ku Klux Klan, such charges have never been proved by any evidence. Anyone who believes he wrote the KKK's original ceremonial rituals needs to compare them to Pike's actual rituals he created for the Scottish Rite. There is no similarity whatsoever in style or vocabulary.

When H. B. F. McFarland, President of the District Commission, accepted the Pike memorial from the Scottish Rite on behalf of the American people at the 1901 dedication, he addressed Pike's stint in the Confederate Army, saying:

"Although Albert Pike was a soldier in the Civil War, this statue will commemorate him rather as a victor in the honorable rivalries of peace. It is well that you thus add to the comparatively small number of statues in the city of Washington that honor the victories of peace rather than of war."

Belgian Masonic Lodge Responds To Vandalism By Opening Its Doors To The Public

by Christopher Hodapp

Note: I spotted this story back in April on the 450.fm website (La loge "La Flandre" à Bruges Louvre set ports au public"). Unfortunately, I neglected to post it then. So forgive the tardiness. Thanks to Brother MD for the photo of the lodge room itself.

Founded in 1881, La Flandre Loge (Flanders Lodge) is the oldest Masonic lodge located in the city of Bruges in the West Flanders region of Belgium. Bruges is a city nicknamed the "Venice of the North" for its canals and medieval heritage, and many of the city's oldest streets are paved with cobblestones. While the lodge was meeting back in January, a vandal picked up one of those cobblestones from the street and hurled it through the front window of the Masonic hall. 

In response, the lodge opened its doors to the public for the first time and showed off its unique interior spaces during the city's 'Heritage Days' celebration to hopefully demonstrate to the community that Freemasonry isn't bizarre, spooky, or a threat to anyone. 

And in a public event, the Masons formally returned the cobblestone to the city. 

Built in 1910, La Flandre's temple contains a large meeting room, a bar, a dining room and the lodge room itself. Egyptomania was in full swing throughout the Western world at the time of its design, and the building is filled with Egyptian-themed artwork and architecture. It is truly a magnificent building with one of the most beautiful lodge rooms anywhere. (Photo at top of the article.)

Photos: Koen Theuns

Lodges throughout Europe don't generally welcome the community into their buildings and openly discuss the fraternity. The public outreach approach that is so widespread in the U.S. and the U.K. is extremely unusual for European Freemasonry, where anti-Masonic sentiment has been an everyday fact of life ever since the French Revolution. And after the persecution of Freemasons in the Nazi-occupied countries during World War II, in the post-war Soviet bloc, and in Franco's Spain, European Masons have been understandably reticent to reveal their membership or in any way advertise their existence to the public. Many European grand lodges have museums that are open to the public (and Belgium has several), but that's a long way away from 'Here's our lodge and here we are!'

According to an article on the 450.fm website (La loge "La Flandre" à Bruges Louvre set ports au public"), La Flandre Lodge has about 90 members. I believe that it is chartered by the Grand Orient de Belgique (Grand Orient of Belgium - GOB), the oldest obedience in the country, which is similar to the Grand Orient de France in that it does not require a belief in a Supreme Being and doesn't forbid the discussion of social and political topics in the open lodge. However, Belgium has other major obediences, such as the La Grande Loge de Belgique (Grand Lodge of Belgium - GLB), La Grand Loge Régulaire de Belgique (Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium - GLRB), and the Grand Female Lodge of Belgium (GLFB), founded in 1981. The overwhelming majority of regular, recognized, male-only Masonic grand lodges around the world are in amity with the GLRB.