BENEDICTION FOR THE NEW TEMPLE
Our Father which art in heaven, whose wisdom and goodness manifest themselves in all the works of creation, with filial love and reverence we beseech thee to bless these children now here assembled as we inaugurate this new Masonic Temple for the glory of your Holy Name.

We commend to your benevolent care the souls of our trail-blazing fraternal brothers who, during the early years of our Lodge existence, saw fit to purchase a lot at J. S. Torrablba St. where they built the first Masonic Temple some seventy seven years ago in this beautiful and scenic island called Bohol.

But while the Temple has served the brethren fully well, the lapse of time has eroded the structure that it required a replacement else drastic renovation had to be made which can prove even more costly than building a new one using current engineering means.

To the credit of three fraternal brothers, namely, Worshipful Master Eugene T. Galbreath whose foresight initiated the sale of the lot so that a new Temple at the side of the Masonic Cemetery may be erected; to WB David B. Tirol, patriarch of the University of Bohol, whose generosity of spirit encouraged him to purchase the said lot so that the financial requirements for its construction may adequately be funded, and to VW Francisco M. Pamaran, Jr., whose engineering skills as Master Builder insured that the new structure is built making it the most beautiful Masonic Temple in the entire archipelago outside of the Grand Lodge itself; the Galbreath-Tirol-Pamaran triumvirate clearly demonstrated the three symbolic pillars called “Wisdom, Strength and Beauty” of our august Fraternity.

As we install to their respective stations the officers and members of this lodge later this afternoon, we also beseech thee to grant unto our incoming Worshipful Master Victoriano B. Tirol, Jr., and to the succeeding Worshipful Masters who will someday come after him the WISDOM to direct us, to all the other incoming officers and members of the lodge and those that would also later follow them the STRENGTH to support us; and to the rest of the Masonic family, namely, the Eastern Star, the Rainbows, the DeMolays, and also our own respective families, relatives and friends, the BEAUTY of holiness to adorn our labors that this New Temple may last as long, if not longer than the first that was built by our trail-blazing fraternal brothers who indelibly etched their footprints and planted firmly the seeds of Masonry on this rustic Visayan soil...

And when a similar lapse of time demands that this Temple be likewise demolished for one reason or another, we pray that when that fateful date arrives, a third temple be built by the brethren who will come after us, hopefully much stronger and more beautiful than this Temple that it intends to replace.

All these we ask for the glory of your Holy Name.

Amen!
- posted by Kherwal @ 1:43 PM