Mayabeque Masonic Lodge

Mayabeque Masonic Lodge

Güines had two Masonic periods. The first one started in 1818 with Francisco de Arango Parreño, the great statesman and politician, big promoter of this fraternal institution whose activities included charitable and public assistance works and civic improvements for our Villa and Don José A. del Monte Tejada, a Dominican resident of Güines, who founded the first Masonic lodge named Benéfica Fraternidad #5 (Charitable Fraternity #5). In 1820 there was another lodge functioning in the Villa named Firmeza #51 (Firmness #51).

The second period had its origins on February 10, 1878 when the Respectable Lodge Mayabeque #22 was founded, being its first Worshipful Master Silvestre Sansón, created due to the great efforts of illustrious Güineros, developing fraternal activities in a time very much needed in Cuba. It started to work on Havana Street upstairs of Carlos Valdés print shop at that time, moving later on to different locations until finally it was established on its own building at #775 Maceo Street (formerly Reina Street) and its corner with Cuarteles Street.

In 1879 our Apostle José Martí and Juan Gualberto Gómez were in Havana doing proselytizing work and collecting funds for the purpose of helping the Cuban independence movement. Mayabeque Masonic Lodge did its duty when it supported the concept of Cuba’s independence from an early time, contributing money to these two well known patriots to help the beginning of the so called Little War which, unfortunately, was a failure.

Without interrupting its patriotic activities, the Lodge performed humanitarian tasks without taking into consideration the nationality or political affiliation of the recipients of such help. For example, it made a large economic donation to the city of Murcia in the Spanish Mediterranean that had suffered a big pounding due to a violent storm with lots of victims and damages. It also helped, together with the illustrious Güinero Francisco Calcagno Monzón and other personalities, to the emancipation of the black Güinero slave José del Carmen, inspired poet who was the cook of his master in the Villa and in whose liberation Juan Gualberto Gómez also cooperated when on August 24, 1879 he visited Güines and before Notary Don Alejo Sánchez Cabrera, the corresponding emancipation deed was made, signed by José del Carmen’s master.

In that same year 1879, Don Juan Ocejo Eguía, first elected Güinero Mayor freed more than 100 slaves. That gesture cost him his merciless exit from the Municipal Chair. Being one of the founders of Mayabeque Masonic Lodge, the same paid him a well-deserved tribute and to perpetuate his memory, it created a free school with the name of San Juan (St. John).

In the decade of 1890, Mayabeque Masonic Lodge cooperated with cash for the construction of the Firemen Mausoleum for those who perished in Isasi Hardware Store’s fire in Havana, a work of art located at Columbus Cemetery in the Cuban capital.

At the start of the Independence War in 1895, Mayabeque Masonic Lodge contributed to the cause with illustrious Masons Güineros patriots and cash. Dr. Francisco Castellanos Arango who was Worshipful Master and his family, had to go into exile to México in order to save his life, and the Lodge contributed to their traveling expenses.

In 1897, a yellow fever epidemic was unleashed in Güines reducing its population in almost 10%. Mayabeque Masonic Lodge was converted into a hospital where persons infected with this disease were treated. All expenses were borne by the institution, thanks to the generosity of its members.

Among the distinguished Güineros that had been Worshipful Masters throughout this institution’s history we can name Dr. Francisco Sánchez Curbelo, Dr. Francisco Castellanos Arango, Juan Ramos Rivera, Marcos Delgado, Rafael María Curbelo, Raúl Castellanos, Ramón Montero, Alberto Reyes, Mariano Alonso, Mario Pérez, Arcelio Tagle, Vicente Fresno, Joaquín Ortega, Dimas Bousarens, Manuel Rodríguez, Evelio Hernández, Arístides S. Garcés, Juan de Pedro, Manuel Carabeo, Dr. Luis Sánchez, Santos Pazos and others.

The modern and beautiful own two story building occupied by Mayabeque Masonic Lodge, was designed by Master Contractor Gerardo Sarmiento and all members of the Lodge contributed to its construction, being finished around the 40’s. The ground floor had the Secretary's offices, a projection room and a recreation room with rocking chairs and tables to play dominoes and other parlor games. Around the building there was a portal with rocking chairs for rest and recreation. In the upper floor, a small library and museum and the Temple, beautifully decorated by an Italian artist that painted the ceiling resembling the sky, clouds and the sun at one end and the moon, stars and night at the other.

Together with the Masons members of Mayabeque Masonic Lodge, there were also other groups working at the same, Rosicrucian Chapter Adolfo M. Díaz #90, as well as the feminine section Lodge Daughters of Acacia and Lodge A.J.E.F. José Martí (Spanish acronym Asociación Jóvenes Esperanza de la Fraternidad [Youth Association Hope of the Fraternity]) this last one founded during the 30’s.

The Lodge had also a burial plot and mausoleum in the Municipal Cemetery, a Recreation Home at Rosario Beach and sickness and life insurance covering its members.

Upon the arrival of Communism, the membership of Mayabeque Masonic Lodge was considerable diminished. The atheistic and materialistic system imposed in Cuba limited the maintaining and developing of this fraternal organization.

The Communist hierarchs being afraid of any possible patriotic activity, as this illustrious, freedom and democratic loving organization did in the past, had infiltrated informers among its members and also have limited its activities, being unable to work in freedom as they did before Communism.

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