‘St. Albans lodges headed to Louisiana’

    

Charlie Scheu

Last weekend, the International Gathering of Lodges Named for St. Alban held its 73rd meeting, this time at St. Albans 38 in Connecticut. Somehow, I missed the chance to advertise that in advance, but next year, the group will meet in Louisiana at St. Albans Lodge 28 in Jackson, which is a great way for this lodge to celebrate its bicentennial year.

Register here and be there June 11-13.

From the publicity:

2027 International Gathering

of Masonic Lodges

Named for St. Alban

200 Years of Brotherhood

in the Felicianas

St. Albans Lodge 28, F&AM, will host the 2027 Gathering, a weekend of fellowship, Masonic history, Louisiana hospitality, and celebration for brethren of St. Alban lodges throughout the United States and around the world, together with their families.

The Gathering falls in the bicentennial year of our Louisiana charter, granted January 6, 1827. St. Albans Lodge 28 is working with the International Committee to plan the Gathering. Guests will also meet the wider St. Albans Masonic family, including St. Albans Chapter 80, Order of the Eastern Star, chartered May 18, 1911, whose members will help welcome our visitors and host the companion program.

The Weekend in Outline

The full program is being prepared and will be sent to every registered guest and posted here when complete.

Friday, June 11

Arrival & Louisiana Welcome

 

Arrival and registration, followed by a Louisiana welcome reception.

Saturday, June 12

Freemasonry in the Felicianas

 

The Day the War Stopped in historic St. Francisville, hosted by our sister lodge, Feliciana Lodge 31, with Masonic historical observances, fellowship and the annual jambalaya cook-off; a presentation on two centuries of St. Albans 28; a companion program; and the St. Albans 28 Bicentennial Dinner.

Sunday, June 13

Fellowship & Farewell

 

An optional farewell breakfast or brunch and local activity, followed by departures.

Click here for a history of the lodge’s early years researched for its centennial celebration in 1926. There’s a lot more color to their story, however, including alleged defection from the Grand Lodge. From James B. Scot’s book Outline of the Rise and Progress of Freemasonry in Louisiana, printed 1873:

St. Albans Lodge No. 28, at Jackson, near the borders of Mississippi, had been reported dormant for over twelve years. An investigation showed that it had been at work clandestinely during the greater portion of the time, but in accordance with the liberal policy always extended to the country lodges, on the 19th of April, 1845, the Grand Lodge remitted its dues from 1833 to 1844, and legalized its work. On the 9th of July following, St. Albans Lodge issued a circular to all the York Rite lodges in the State, requesting them to meet in convention for the purpose of forming “an American Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana.” Only one lodge, St. James No. 47, at Baton Rouge, adopted resolutions favoring the project, and it was abandoned. One of the circulars was sent to Perfect Union Lodge No. 1, and, by it, handed to the Grand Master. A committee appointed for the purpose visited the two lodges and reported, (October 13) that the proof was so strong against St. Albans Lodge they had suspended its work and arrested the charter. St. James No. 47 was a young lodge, and it was pleaded in excuse that its members were inexperienced and had been led astray by the circular of George W. Catlett, W.M. of St. Albans Lodge; that the S.W. presided, and only a few members were present at the meeting at which the resolution was adopted, and that the action was deeply regretted as St. James Lodge had no desire to withdraw its allegiance from the Grand Lodge. The excuse was accepted. The representative of St. Albans Lodge stated in extenuation that the circular had been issued at the instigation of visitors from other jurisdictions, a number of whom had frequently visited the lodge and exercised an improper influence over the members, who now implored the clemency of the Grand Lodge. Under these circumstances the charter was suspended for one year, but, on the 27th November following, the sentence was remitted and the lodge restored to all its rights and privileges.

And, several years later:

On Nov. 25, 1848, St. Albans Lodge No. 28 reported that it had suspended five of its members for uniting with “two strangers” for the purpose of organizing an irregular lodge; this action was approved by the Grand Lodge…

It was a wild time for Louisiana Freemasonry. Between the French chartering lodges there, and the estrangement between Francophone and English-speaking lodges and their rituals, and the Mississippi brethren encouraging the schismatic Louisiana Grand Lodge of Ancient York Masons, it was a mess. But it was resolved in 1850, and the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana remains a beloved member of the Masonic family.