Where we meet

St Wilfrid Lodge is one of 200 Masonic Lodges in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, within the United Grand Lodge of England.

We meet at Castle Grove Masonic Hall, in Headingley, Leeds.

This superb Masonic centre comprises Masonic Temples, rehearsal and committee rooms, a large dining hall and a comfortable bar.

Our meetings

We meet every Thursday, except during August and over the Christmas period, for practice evenings. Every second Thursday of the month we have a more formal meeting when we take part in a variety of activities. Our meetings start at 6.30pm and usually finish around 10pm. Every evening concludes with time for getting to know the other members in a relaxed atmosphere with drinks and food available.

Our Social Life

An important facet of St Wilfrid Lodge is its vibrant, active and varied social life where we welcome partners, family and friends. Every year we hold a Ladies’ Night Dinner Dance, Christmas Festivities and Burn’s Night Celebrations. In addition we have also held Murder Mystery Dinners, an Antiques Roadshow, Country Walks & Pub Lunches, Curry Nights, Bowls and Golf Tournaments.

Friendship

Like all Masons we believe that an important part of being a Mason is to visit other Lodges, to witness their ceremonies, often quite different from ours, and to welcome Masons from other Lodges, which includes those in the UK and abroad which are recognised by The United Grand Lodge of England.

Masons wishing to visit St Wilfrid Lodge should contact the Lodge Secretary who will make all the necessary arrangements. We would be delighted to welcome you!

Our members

Currently, we have around 30 members including 15 Provincial Grand Officers. We are one of the most diverse Lodges in Leeds. We are lawyers and accountants, property developers and builders, financial advisers and administrators, manufacturers and surveyors, doctors, teachers and IT specialists, as well as other occupations. Our age range extends from the early thirties to the late eighties, some having been members for 40 or more years.

History

The end of the war in 1945 saw a great increase in masonic activity, as members returned to their Lodges and waiting lists for admission started to appear.

Castle Grove Masonic Hall was released from Government requisition, however only the Temple and one other room could be used.

St. Michael's Lodge No 4353 was extremely active at this time and there was a strong feeling that they should form a daughter Lodge.  They had 81 members and a two-year waiting list. Practice nights had an attendance of 40 members and the length of time it took to become Master was growing longer and longer.

After much discussion, on the 23 September 1946 it was decided "to petition for a new Lodge, to be named St Wilfrid, be approved, and the Master and Wardens sign it". This was carried unanimously. The petition was then sent to Grand Lodge and approved on the 6th November, with John Edward Gimblett to be first Master.  Herbert Prentice the first Senior Warden and Raymond Curry the first Junior Warden.

It was felt by the Founders that they should follow the example of St Michael's and choose the name of a local Saint for the new Lodge.

St Wilfrid was born in Yorkshire, ordained in Ripon and studied for some years in Rome. He was responsible for the building of many churches in the country, including the Abbeys of Hexham and Ripon, as well as beautifying the Cathedral Church of York, where he followed St Chad. What is not generally appreciated is that there arose a serious disagreement between the Celtic clergy of the North and the South regarding the ritual used in Churches. This came to a head at the Synod of Whitby in AD 664 where St Wilfrid, with his experience in Rome, laid down the format for religious worship in the Churches of today.

The new Lodge was finally consecrated on the 10th March 1947 at Castle Grove Masonic Hall exactly 25 years after St Michael's was itself formed from Headingley Lodge.