Cradock Royal Arch Chapter No. 72

04/13/2026

04/05/2026

"He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Matt. 28:6

To All Who Celebrate, Happy Easter.

04/05/2026

Companions,

On this blessed morning of Resurrection, I extend to each of you my warmest Easter greetings.

Easter stands as a reminder that from darkness comes light, from loss comes restoration, and from the grave itself springs forth new life. As Royal Arch Masons, this truth is not unfamiliar to us -it is deeply woven into the lessons we have received, reminding us what was lost may again be found, and what was broken may yet be made whole.

In this sacred season my we reflect upon the triumph of hope over despair, of faith over fear, and of life everlasting over the silence of the tomb. Let us carry forward the light entrusted to us, not only within our Chapter, but into our daily lives -guiding our actions, strengthening our bonds, and renewing our purpose.

May the Great I AM bless you and your families with peace, joy and renewed strength.

Happy Easter, Companions

Fraternally,
Your High Priest

04/05/2026

Saddened by the loss of our Companion Don Orfield. Please keep Brother Greg Orfield and the Orfield family in your thoughts and prayers.

View Donald Wayne "Don" Orfield's complete obituary, share memories, and explore 2 tribute posts from the community.

03/31/2026

03/27/2026

"they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord...because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel."
Ezra 3:10

03/25/2026

The Virginia Capitular Degrees are a set of 6 degrees controlled by the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Virginia. They center on the construction phases of Solomon’s Temple, with the exception of the degree of Past Master, hence the title of Capitular. All Chapter business is conducted in a Royal Arch Chapter, the other degrees being only opened for the conferral of degrees. The Cryptic degrees were incorporated and cronologically reordered with the Capitular Degrees.

Click the link for an explanation of the 6 degrees and what they entail: https://virginiaroyalarch.org/degrees/

03/15/2026

Who Was Zerubbabel?
Tom Varner
December 21, 2018
Often in our ritual, we come across names that are important and merit research and understanding. For the purpose of this short talk, I wanted to learn more about Zerubbabel. Why is he special and why do we dedicate our Royal Arch Chapters to him? He is also mentioned in the Knight Templar Order of the Red Cross, and the Order of DeMolay has an award called the Zerubbabel Key, which is given to Masons who found new Chapters....

Keep Reading; https://bit.ly/4kjX4vv

03/09/2026

The Grand Chapter proudly supports the Alzheimer's Association with your generous assistance and support but do you know their origin story?

Jerome H. Stone founded the Alzheimer's Association with the help of several family support groups after meeting with the National Institute on Aging in 1979. Stone's efforts began in 1970 when his wife was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's. During the 1970s, there was very little information available about the disease, and only a few support groups existed at the time. Stone joined with seven independent groups that wanted to form a national organization. The groups consisted of researchers, physicians, caregivers, and other humanitarians. Together, they held their first meeting on December 4, 1979, to discuss solutions for the need for Alzheimer's information and care and a cure for the disease.

The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association was incorporated on April 10, 1980...

Keep Reading: https://bit.ly/40k5t9z
See Also: https://bit.ly/46Oi8Fo

03/08/2026

What is "Cryptic Masonry" and the "Cryptic Rite"?

The Cryptic Rite is "one of the smallest but one of the most important and certainly one
of the most curious of all the rites," according to Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia. "Crypt"
comes from a Greek word meaning "hide, conceal, or secret," and thus has come to
mean a vault, cave, or other place of underground concealment. The Cryptic degrees
are centered on stories involving a vault or crypt where certain treasures were hidden
beneath King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem for very specific purposes. They were
first called "Cryptic" by Rob Morris, a very influential Mason in the 1800's.

Which degrees are included in the Cryptic Rite?
Cryptic Masonry now consists of the two degrees that concern the crypt or vault under
King Solomon's Temple, the Royal Master degree and the Select Master degree. These
originally had no relation to each other, and were only combined into a Rite until after
they had each existed for many years.

In some states the Super Excellent Master degree is also included in the Cryptic Rite,
but some say it should not be because it does not deal with the "crypt" story and it is not really a degree but a ceremony. However, it is described as a beautiful ceremony, and it is not clear why some call it a ceremony rather than a degree...

Keep Reading; https://bit.ly/3QfcFhW
More Reading; https://bit.ly/4sqGaP2

03/07/2026

And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness
Colossians 3:14

03/07/2026

Companions of Cradock No. 72 traveled in support of our very own Most Excellent Kyle Strickland 185th Grand High Priest Royal Arch Masons in Virginia on his official visit to capitular District 19