Information of Masonic Funerals
If you have just experienced the passing of a loved one, please
accept our kindest condolences.

This page is both for those who have just had a loved one passed and desire
information on holding a Masonic Funeral, as well as for those who need or
want more information on exactly what steps need to be taken to ensure
that a Masonic Funeral is performed.

For those who have just experienced a loss:

Once again, our condolences.  The loss of a loved one, be they young or
old, someone you have lived with all your life or have known for just a
short time, is not an easy time and we sympathize with you in this regard.  
The purpose of this page is to help you assemble the things necessary
and arrange for the Masonic Funeral you desire.

Masonic Funerals are reserved for those who are Masons in good
standing.  Therefore the first step you should take is to contact the
Secretary of the Lodge, R.W. Raymond H. Carroll - (973) 418-2975 or the
Worshipful Master of the Lodge - James Foster - 908-686-6163.  

DO NOT use email to contact us for funerals. Email sometimes does
not get read or gets deleted easily.

The Lodge Secretary and Worshipful Master can help you immediately
with any details or with the planning of the service and can advise you
what other steps you may need to take.  Generally this one step will be
sufficient to handle everything.

Additional things you may need or want to do are contained in the next
section, "More Information on Planning a Masonic Service".


More Information on Planning a Masonic Service

First, please be aware that Masonic Funeral Services are reserved only for those
Masons who are in good standing in the Lodge.  They are not held for spouses,
friends or acquaintances or for those of the general public who would simply like to
have them.  Also, because someone needs to be in "good standing", the caregiver
or the person charged with putting together the service, should ascertain if the
person in question is, in fact, in "good standing".  This can easily be done by a
phone call to the Secretary of the Lodge, R.W. Raymond H. Carroll at 973-418-2975.  
He can tell you whether the person in question is paid up in dues or is still a
member.  Further, he can tell you if the person in question is a member of our Lodge
or another Lodge.  Sometimes family members are surprised to find out that a
person they thought all along  was a Mason, turned out never to have been one, or
had a lapse in membership.  Fortunately, minor problems can be corrected and
reassured to the family by calling the Lodge Secretary.  He can tell you what steps
to take to correct the situation and resolve any problems.

    After ensuring yourself that the person in question is a Mason in good standing and
    determining what Lodge he is a member of, you will then need to determine if you
    want AzureMasada Lodge to handle the funeral service or another Lodge.  There
    are three scenarios:
            A.  The man is a member of AzureMasada Lodge and you want his service to
    be conducted by our Lodge.  
            B.  The man is a member of AzureMasada Lodge and you want his service to
    be conducted by another Lodge, for logistical reasons.  
            C.  The man is not a member of AzureMasada Lodge, but you want our Lodge to
    handle the services.

    In all of these cases, simply advise the Lodge Secretary and he will make the
    necessary arrangements or direct you accordingly.

Next, you will want to collect any memorabilia that you would like buried with the
person in question.  The key word here is "buried", because the items will be
permanently left with the decedent.  This should be thought over carefully, as
sometimes, family members have misgivings over burying an item that later they
wished they had given to another member of the family or donated to the Lodge.  
Items of this nature are generally rings, badges, mementos, etc.

    The last item you will want to locate, is the "plain white leathern apron" belonging to
    the Mason in question.  Every Mason, without exception, is given a plain white apron,
    which then is kept generally in a tube of some kind.  If the Mason in question goes
    on to become a Master of the Lodge he may have in his possession a purple border
    apron of one inch.  A Grand Lodge Officer will be given a one and a half inch purple
    border apron, while a Past Grand Master will be given a two inch purple border
    apron with a sunburst in the center.  

    Regardless of what decorations the Mason has earned in his lifetime, all Masons
    are buried with the plain white apron.  The significance of this is made clear during
    the service, but essentially the meaning is to relate that we are all "leveled" at death
    and "...the staff of the beggar and the scepter of the prince are laid side by side...".

    If you cannot locate the plain white apron, please advise the Secretary of the Lodge
    at your earliest convenience.  He can arrange for one to be supplied.


We hope that this has helped you at this time in your planning.  Once
again, if you have experienced a loss, our sympathies and condolences.  
Please let us know what we can do to help you during this time of need.
Azure Masada Lodge #22  F&AM
Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New Jersey
908-276-9801
478 South Ave., Cranford, New Jersey  07016