Chivalric Orders

Only qualified Masons who believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ may petition a Commandery for membership. The "circle of perfection" in Ancient Craft Masonry was completed in the Royal Arch and Cryptic Degrees. But it is in the Commandery that the impressive lessons and beautiful ceremonies of the preceding degrees are dramatically and directly applied to the Christian way of life.

Order of Red Cross

It is here that the first direct connection is established between the preceding Degrees and the Chivalric Orders. The emblem of the Order is the Red Cross, and each of its four arms has important symbolic allusions.

Order of Malta

Strictly Christian in origin and character, this Order receives Its name from the Island of Malta and Its setting dates back to the time of the Crusades when admission to the Order was sought as a means of safe pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher. The Maltese Cross is the emblem of the Order.

Order of the Temple

This Order is solemn, impressive and soulsearching. It receives its name from the original Crusaders, the first Christian protectors of Jerusalem sworn to protect the Pilgrims to the Holy Land and uphold the Cross. This ritual still retains some of the ceremonies of the original Order. Founded on the New Testament, this Order is the fitting climax to the labors of the humble penitent, culminating in his Knighting as a Christian Warrior. The emblem of a Knight Templar is the Passion Cross, ever a symbol of sacrifice, and a reminder of the spirit of refined and moral chivalry which prompts members of the Order to be ever ready to defend the weak, the innocent the helpless and the depressed - in the true spirit of Christ.