HR 424

                                               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
2WHEREAS, 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
6WHEREAS, 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
11WHEREAS, 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
17WHEREAS, 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
26WHEREAS, 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
29WHEREAS, 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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