Knight Templar Masonryby Chronicle Herald

Published on October 18th, 2008

The United Religious and Military Orders of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine,Rhodes, Malta and the Temple. It's a long title, and fills the mind with visions ofCrusader Knights, fancy robes and mysteries dark and dangerous.

The Masonic versions of the fabled Crusader Orders of the Knights of theHospital of Saint John of Jerusalem and the Knights of the Order of the PoorFellow Soldiers of Christ or Knights Templar have long been shrouded innearly as much secrecy, myth, mist and legend as the originals from the 12thand 13th Centuries! However it began in Europe, it appeared in North Americavia travelling lodges attached by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the Grand Lodgeof Scotland and the Grand Lodge (Antients) of England in the 1760's.

In 1855, the Supreme Grand Conclave of England issued a warrant toestablish a Provincial Grand Conclave in "Canada", which at that time was onlythe current Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. This body, under a variety ofnames as it, and international Templary, developed, continued to only holdauthority over Ontario and Quebec, with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PrinceEdward Island and Newfoundland being under the authority of a well-knownNova Scotian Mason and businessman as Provincial Grand Prior, the Hon.Alexander Keith. On his death in 1873, the "Canadian Grand Conclave" wasexpanded to include the areas formerly in the charge of Keith, bringing Canadaunder a single body known as the Sovereign Great Prior of Canada, KnightsTemplar.

Most Eminent KnightW.J. Parsons,

Supreme Grand Master of theSovereign Great

Priory of Canada,Knights Templar

Today, Templar Masonry in Nova Scotia includes Antiquity Preceptory No. 5 in Halifax the oldest Preceptory ofKnights Templar in Canada, as well as Preceptories in Westville, Sydney, Amherst and Kentville.

In Canada, The Order of Knights Templar is open to all Royal Arch Masons who are Most Emirwnt Knight W.Job Parsorm Supren Grand Master of the Sovereign Great Prioiy of Canada, Knights Templar members of theTrinitarian Christian Faidi. The Order ties together the early story of the Craft with King Solomon's Templethrough Zenibbabel's Second Temple to King Herod's Third Temple and looks forward to that Spiritual Temple.not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens".

The Sovereign Great Priory of Canada is presided over by a Supreme Grand Master The current GrandMaster, installed at the Annual Assembly in August 2008, is Most Eminent Knight W. job Parsons of Springdale,Newfoundland. Sir Knight Parsons has been a Mason for forty years having joined a Craft W* in Trenton,Ontario, while stationed there in the military, in 1968. He is active is many branches of the fraternity and hasheld a number of senior positions. In addition to his present position Sir Knight Parsons has smed, amongothers, as junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador; Grand High Priest of dieGrand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Nova Scotia; Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal ArchMasons of Newfoundland and Labrador; Most Puissant Grand Master of the Supreme Grand Council EasternJurisdiction of Canada Royal and Select Masten; and Grand Sovereign of the Grand Imperial Conclave ofCanada Red Cross of Constantine.

Original URL: http://www.footstepsofthemasters.ca/knight_msnry.html

Presented by: King Solomon Lodge #54 G.L.N.S - Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada