Prince Hall Affiliated  ·  Louisiana

York Rite

The York Rite of Freemasonry confers additional degrees upon Master Masons, completing the ancient legend of Hiram Abiff through the bodies of the Chapter, Council, and Commandery.

Overview

The York Rite Bodies

The York Rite is a collection of Masonic bodies that confer degrees beyond the Blue Lodge. In the Prince Hall tradition, the York Rite in Louisiana is composed of three principal bodies, each conferring a unique series of degrees that illuminate the deeper teachings of Freemasonry.

First Body
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
Mark Master · Virtual Past Master · Most Excellent Master · Royal Arch
The Chapter confers four degrees culminating in the Royal Arch Degree, often called the "completion of the Master Mason Degree," which reveals what was lost.
Second Body
Council of Royal & Select Masters
Royal Master · Select Master · Super Excellent Master
The Cryptic Degrees are conferred by the Council. They preserve the secrets of the Royal Arch and illuminate the events surrounding the construction and destruction of King Solomon's Temple.
Third Body
Commandery of Knights Templar
Order of the Red Cross · Order of Malta · Order of the Temple
The Commandery confers chivalric orders upon Royal Arch Masons who profess the Christian faith, tracing the pilgrimage of the ancient Knights Templar.
Cryptic Masonry in Louisiana

The Pelican Grand Council & the York Rite

The Most Illustrious Pelican Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters, PHA, Louisiana governs the Cryptic Rite — the second body of the York Rite — throughout the state. It charters and supervises subordinate Councils that confer the degrees of Royal Master, Select Master, and Super Excellent Master.

Companions who have received the Capitular Degrees in a Royal Arch Chapter are eligible to petition a subordinate Council for the Cryptic Degrees. Contact your nearest subordinate Council or the Grand Council Recorder for information on petitioning.

Add specific York Rite body information, affiliated Chapters and Commanderies, contact details, and any Louisiana-specific organizational content to this page.