Ar01103

: R 0 CnC 5 Tn ^ CATHCDRAD

Masonic Service In Rochester Cathedral.

MASONIC SERVICE IN ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL .

Last Saturday a Masonic service , originated by Bro . the Very Dean Hole , D . D . | P . G . Chap ., was held in Roschester Cathedral , with the object of raising funds towards £ 5000 , which is required for erecting a new tower to the cathedral . The programme of the services arranged for the day contained the representations ot the old cathedral , built A . O . 1075 , the present tower , and the intended tower , which he proposes to call the " Freemasons' Tower , " and , as he said in his brief sermon , for persons coming throngh Rochester by rail from abroad to point to under that description .

Grand Lodge was strongly represented , the Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom , attending for the Prince of Wales ; and with him were Earl Amherst , Deputy Grand Master , and Provincial Grand Master for Kent ; Lord Harlech , Grand Master for North Wales ; Earl Egerton of Tatton , Grand Master for Cheshire ; Lord Methuen , P . G . Warden ; Bros , the Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith , Dr . Robbins , and Archdeacon Stevens , P . G . Chaps . ; Lieut .-Col . Clifford Probyn ,

G . Treas . ; Maj . Woodall , Edward Terry , W . M . Stiles , and Alderman Vaughan Morgan , P . G . Treasurers ; John Strachan , Q . C , G . Reg . ; T . T . Bucknill , Q . C , Deputy G . Reg . ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; J . H . Matthews , President Board of Benevolence ; and many more . Probably all the lodges in the Province of Kent were represented : Bros , the Lord Mayor of London and Alderman and Sheriff Gceen and Sheriff Dewar , with the under-sheriffs and corporation officials , attended

Masonic Service In Rochester Cathedral.

in State , as did also the Mayors of Rochester and Chatham , with the corporation officials and town councillors . The massed bands of the Royal Engineers and Royal Marines , Chatham division , by permission of the officers commanding , under the direction of Mr . J . M . Wright , bandmaster Royal Marines , played during the procession after the

. The DEAN preached the sermon , and selected for his text the words " Charity edifieth , " 1 Cor ., viii ., first verse . There , he said , they had Freemasonry in two words , and in the original it was even better— " Love builds the house . " In those words they had the principles , the history and the work of Freemasonry , and they

might well be proud to associate themselves with the ancient builders and with those great religious guilds of Masons with their Worshipful Masters , Master Masons , fellow crafts , and entered apprentices , who in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries went about Europe in large companies to superintend and to take part in building such noble edifices as this cathedral .

After the benediction , a Masonic closing hymn was sung , and the National Anthem , with Dean Hole ' s alteration of the second verse—instead of " Confound their politics " — " Make wars to cease , keep us from plague and dearth , turn Thou our woe to mirth , and o ' er all the earth , let there be peace "—was joined in by the whole congregation , the organ , and the bands . At the close of the proceedings , Dean Hole and Mrs . Hole held a deli ghtful "At Home , " at whicli the very large company had an opportunity of viewing the beautiful gardens and thc deanery .