HR 424 — A Resolution designating March 25, 2026, as "Prince Hall Mason Day at the Capitol" in Pennsylvania in recognition of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.    2964

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 424
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY J. HARRIS, NEILSON, N. NELSON, PARKER, PIELLI,
        REICHARD, PROBST, MAYES, KHAN AND MEHAFFIE, MARCH 5, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 5, 2026


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating March 25, 2026, as "Prince Hall Mason Day at the
 2      Capitol" in Pennsylvania in recognition of The Most
 3      Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
 4      WHEREAS, The House of Representatives applauds The Most
 5   Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania for its
 6   endeavors that have served the welfare of the residents of this
 7   Commonwealth on issues vital to the history and future of the
 8   Commonwealth; and
 9      WHEREAS, As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United
10   States of America, it is important to recognize the history and
11   tradition of Prince Hall Freemasonry dating back to 1775, when
12   Prince Hall and 14 other free Black men began their journey to
13   become masons, eventually forming African Lodge No. 459, the
14   first African-American Lodge; and
15      WHEREAS, The first warranted Lodge of Free and Accepted
16   Masons among men of color in Pennsylvania was established by the
17   Right Worshipful Grand Master Prince Hall of the African Grand
18   Lodge of Massachusetts on September 22, 1797, in Philadelphia,
 1   known as African Lodge No. 459 of Philadelphia; and
 2         WHEREAS, Mother Bethel AME Church is deeply intertwined with
 3   Prince Hall Masonry, as its founder, Richard Allen, was one of
 4   the first officers of the African Lodge in Philadelphia, having
 5   been installed by Prince Hall himself in 1797; and
 6         WHEREAS, On December 27, 1815, the brethren erected the
 7   "First African Independent Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted
 8   Masons, for and in the Jurisdiction of North America," electing
 9   Rev. Absalom Jones as its first Right Worshipful Grand Master;
10   and
11         WHEREAS, Richard Allen, who founded the African Methodist
12   Episcopal Church, and Rev. Absalom Jones, the first African
13   American ordained as an Episcopal priest, were both integral in
14   establishing the Free African Society and other independent
15   Black institutions that provided a blueprint for Black self-
16   determination during the Revolutionary era; and
17         WHEREAS, Over the past 200 years, the legacy of the Prince
18   Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is cemented by the profound
19   contributions of its members to the American story, including
20   figures such as Octavius V. Catto, a martyr for voting rights
21   and education, the Honorable Raymond Pace Alexander, a legal
22   titan and the first African-American judge on the Pennsylvania
23   Courts of Common Pleas, and countless other jurists, educators,
24   veterans and civic leaders whose names are etched in the bedrock
25   of Pennsylvania's progress; and
26         WHEREAS, Prince Hall Free Masons have served the Commonwealth
27   with lodges in communities spanning from Erie to Pittsburgh,
28   Harrisburg to Coatesville and Philadelphia and Chester; and
29         WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is moved to honor the
30   Prince Hall Masons of Pennsylvania, who have labored

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 1   conscientiously to improve the quality of life for the
 2   communities they serve; and
 3      WHEREAS, Under the leadership of the Most Worshipful Grand
 4   Master Timothy J. Cager, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand
 5   Lodge of Pennsylvania continues to perform amazing charitable
 6   works and serves as a source of unity, peace, hope and love; and
 7      WHEREAS, The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of
 8   Pennsylvania is currently comprised of approximately 4,000
 9   members across the Commonwealth, in addition to its female
10   auxiliary, Deborah Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star,
11   Inc., Prince Hall Adopted, led by Grand Worthy Matron Kelly J.
12   Sheppard; and
13      WHEREAS, Lodges throughout this Commonwealth continue to
14   flourish through their members' commitment to education,
15   community service and philanthropy; and
16      WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is proud to welcome
17   Prince Hall Masons from across this Commonwealth to the State
18   Capitol; therefore be it
19      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate March
20   25, 2026, as "Prince Hall Mason Day at the Capitol" in
21   Pennsylvania in recognition of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall
22   Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.




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