The full name of this Order of Freemasonry is ‘The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine and Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and St John the Evangelist’. It was first organized into a sovereign Masonic Order in 1865 although its beginnings date from around 1770. The Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and St John the Evangelist are known as the ‘Appendant Orders’.
The Order is founded upon the Christian faith, and is open to membership for Freemasons who are also members of the Holy Royal Arch and profess their belief in the Christian Holy Trinity.
The Red Cross ceremonial is based upon the legend surrounding Constantine I, his conversion to the Christian Faith from paganism and his overseeing of the subsequent promotion of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. This ceremonial is followed by that of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre which is based upon the actions of Godfrey de Bouillon following the fall of Jerusalem in 1099 A.D. in founding a corps of Christian Knights to protect the Holy Sepulchre against attacks by non-believers. The ceremonial of the Order of St John the Evangelist interprets the Royal Arch ceremony in Christian terms and completes the Appendant Orders ceremonies. Both Constantine himself, and his mother Saint Helena, a devout Christian, are particularly celebrated within the three combined Orders.
Organisation
The Red Cross of Constantine experience begins with becoming a member of a Conclave. Conclaves are then organized into Divisions that are headed by an Intendant-General who is supported by a Deputy Intendant-General and Divisional Recorder together with a group of Divisional Officers each year. The Divisions, of which there are currently 29 operating in England and Wales, are overseen by the Grand Imperial Conclave that is administered from Mark Masons’ Hall, London. Each Division comprises a number of Conclaves. Every Red Cross of Constantine member