YORK RITE
The York Rite is the other appendant body of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason may
proceed to supplement and amplify the Blue Lodge degrees, affording historical background
on the work and meaning of Freemasonry.
The York Rite takes its name from the old English city of York. Is it said that Athelstan,
a British king, was converted to Christianity in York and that he granted the original
charter to the Masonic guilds in that city nearly a thousand years ago. Although the York
Rite is not a religion in itself, it does develop themes based on the Christian Crusades.
In the York Rite, a Master Mason may become a member of three bodies - a chapter of
Royal Arch Masons, a council of Royal and Select Masters, and a commandery of Knights
Templar. |
