The Lodge Chaplain is one of the most important and honourable positions within the Masonic Fraternity. The Chaplain is tasked with bringing spirituality to Lodge meetings. He provides ministry services to the members in many ways and offers moral conscience to the Lodge and its members. A large amount of what used to be the pastoral, spiritual, and often emotional responsibilities of the Lodge Chaplain have been farmed-out to the Lodge Almoner, Lodge Mentor, and Lodge Membership Officer over recent years.
The Lodge Chaplain is an officer of the Lodge, and therefore as such, he must always work under the direction of the Worshipful Master of the Lodge. During Lodge meetings he must be located on the immediate Left (after the Immediate Past Master) of the Worshipful Master, so as to be available at any time the Worshipful Master may require his guidance interaction or support.
The basic tenents of Freemasonry are spiritual, and need to be interpreted and understood by Masons because they underly everything in Freemasonry. Since these concepts are central to the life of Freemasonry, someone in each Lodge needs to be charged with reminding the Lodge of this fact, and with exlemplifying it as well. Throughout the life of Freemasonry, the Lodge Chaplain has been given this task.
In today’s environment, the role of the Chaplain includes the regular opening, and closing prayers, for each and every ceremony, the ambulatory “Lessons” in each degree, and to deliver a grace preceeding and following special meetings, dinners or other occasions. In some Lodges the opening grace is sung by the brethren and in these cases, the Lodge Chaplain will recite the closing grace(s). He must be particularly careful to select a grace appropriate to the occasion, and/or the time of year, and the time in the Lodge calendar.
Clearly each Lodge and Province will have their own approach to the individual, and therefore unique role of their Lodge, and Provincial Chaplains, but the foregoing text gives some small flavour of the role and responsibilities of this Lodge Officer.
WBro Richard Page