June 24th is St. John the Baptist Day, a day meant to celebrate the life and death of St. John the Baptist. Revered as one of Freemasonry’s Patron Saints, John the Baptist has deep ties to the early beginnings of Freemasonry and has influenced our fraternity for generations.
June 24th, 1717
On June 24th, 1717 the Grand Lodge of England was officially formed to celebrate the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and soon, John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist were acknowledged as the Patron Saints of Freemasonry. June 24th is also used as a day for many Lodge’s to install their new Worshipful Master or Grand Master. While in the early days many Scottish Freemasons favored St. John the Evangelist, the Freemasons residing in England tended to favor St. John the Baptist – a pattern later appearing in speculative lodges too. It is known that a group of stonemasons and carpenters in Europe were known as the “Fraternity of Saint John the Baptist.” This Patron Saint is highly revered in Freemasonry and has roots in our beginnings.
Life and Death of St. John the Baptist
Living early in the 1st century AD, St. John the Baptist has been a major religious figure in Christianity from the beginning and is regarded as a prophet in other religions too. As described in the New Testament, aside from being Jesus’ cousin, he is seen as foreshadowing Christ’s arrival. Many historians and students of religion believe that John baptized Jesus, and similar accounts of this baptism are found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. A majority of Jesus’ early followers also may have been originally followers of St. John the Baptist. This Patron Saint was most well-known for his values of strict devotion and zeal for a strong moral character and ascetic life. His death around the time of 28-36 AD was due to his refusal to renounce his following of Jesus.
The Summer Solstice
In countries around the world, June 24th is also known as the summer solstice, this time dedicated to St. John takes place about mid-way through the year. The summer solstice is most well-known for being the longest day of the year, the day where the sun graces us for the longest period of time. It seems quite in line with Masonic values that one of our Patron Saints is recognized on the day where Masons seemingly have the most time to “seek light.”
Many celebrations on this day include large feasts, formal events, and regalia. While it may not have as much significance in the United States as it once did, many individuals host summer celebrations on this day and honor this Patron Saint. We invite you and your Lodge to take advantage of the day and host a Lodge-wide celebration to honor St. John the Baptist.
Interested to learn more about St. John the Baptist and his counterpart St. John the Evangelist? Read our blog on The Holy Saints John!