Dante Lodge #174 | Freemasonry in Louisiana

A Safe Place to Fail

The world has become very good at reaching men and very bad at gathering them. The Lodge is still a room a man did not design for his own comfort. What use does a tiled room still have in the most connected age in history? Beyond the fraternity and the good meal, a Lodge offers structure a man did not design for his own comfort, a brother with the standing to correct him in private, and somewhere safe to fail while he learns to stand. That closing lesson is for every reader, Mason or not.

Leaders Invite Us on a Journey

Leaders don’t force people to follow — they invite them on a journey. In the East, the West, and the South, Dante Lodge officers do not command from a distance. They walk the checkered floor with the Craft, carrying light for those who follow. True leadership in Masonry is invitation, example, and the steady lantern held for the next brother on the path.

Capacity Before Service

Service is the heart of the Masonic life, but there is a teaching that comes before it. A man must tend his own well before he can pour out for others. Service is the heart of the Masonic life, but there is a teaching that comes before it. Strength must be cultivated before it is spent. The Senior Warden's lesson this month is that rest is not luxury but duty: a brother who has not put his own house in order cannot carry the Lodge, his family, or his city. Dante Lodge asks each man to labor on himself first, then to give from a full measure.

Brethren in Formal Attire

Distinguished dress and lodge regalia at stated communications and festive boards. At stated communications and special occasions, Dante Lodge #174 brethren gather in the formal dress of the Craft — dark suits, white shirts, and the aprons and collars that mark our stations. Proper attire honors the Lodge, the work at the altar, and the brethren who labor beside us.

The Dante Lodge Tomb

At St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 on Esplanade Avenue, the Dante Lodge society tomb is an above-ground oven vault — upper chamber, caveau, and a century of Masonic memory. Tomb of Dante Lodge #174, F&AM, in St. Louis Cemetery Number Three on Esplanade Avenue. It is an above-ground oven vault: coffins rest on a stone shelf for a year and a day, then remaining bones are lowered into the caveau so the next brother may be received. From 1890 to 2005 a bronze bust of Dante Alighieri by lodge member Achille Perelli crowned the vault — lost amid Hurricane Katrina, though the tomb still bears the square and compasses with the letter G. Read the full history on our History page.

Master Mason Degree — August 2026

Brethren of Dante Lodge #174 joined Etoile Polaire Lodge No. 1 for a Master Mason degree and festive board. In August 2026, brethren gathered with Etoile Polaire Lodge No. 1 for a Master Mason degree — the culmination of a candidate’s journey through the three degrees of Freemasonry. Dante Lodge #174 was proud to stand with our brothers in the East, West, and South as another man was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason.

Fifty Years Honored at the Altar

Worshipful Brother Stephen Dummer presented 50-year certificates to Worshipful Brothers Esponge and Mims — a milestone for Dante Lodge #174. Worshipful Brother Stephen Dummer presented 50-year certificates to Worshipful Brother Noles “Papa” Esponge and Worshipful Brother Melvin Mims, with Worshipful Brother Mark Grouchy and Brother Brian McGibbon standing witness. Half a century of Masonic service is a rare honor — and Dante Lodge #174 was proud to recognize it at the altar.

The Heartbeat of Our Lodge

Worshipful Brother Melvin Mims — a proud Marine and the steady presence behind so much of our labor. Worshipful Brother Melvin Mims is the heartbeat of Dante Lodge #174 — a proud Marine whose service to country and to the Craft has shaped this Lodge for generations. Semper Fi.

Brother Vince Vance Presents a Gift

Brother Vince Vance presenting a gift to Worshipful Master Mark A. Hopkins — fellowship among the brethren. Brother Vince Vance presented a gift to Worshipful Master Mark A. Hopkins — a moment of appreciation and good fellowship that speaks to the bonds formed in and out of the lodge room.