US college plans to buy Masonic temple to convert it into Catholic shrine

A Masonic temple. Photo: lifesitenews

The Catholic College of Saint Joseph the Worker in the American city of Steubenville (Ohio) has announced its plans to acquire the historic Masonic temple building, to exorcise it, and convert it into a shrine and public gathering space, reports the LifeSiteNews.

As the college announced, the Masonic lodge will vacate the building in November 2026 after nearly a century of use. The complex will then become the property of the educational institution.

"The College of St. Joseph the Worker will buy the building, exorcise it, and give it back to the city as a shrine, a table, and an athenaeum," the college's statement reads.

The building is planned to house a chapel with first-class relics and a copy of the Shroud of Turin. In addition, the former Masonic temple hall with 500 seats will become a public venue for concerts, lectures, literary festivals, and other cultural events.

College President Jacob Imam stated that the city's residents need a space that can bring people together. He added, "Our students will restore this building with their own hands … That is not a fundraising line; that is the curriculum."

To implement the project, the college intends to raise approximately 4 million dollars by January 2027.

The College of Saint Joseph the Worker opened in 2024. The distinctive feature of the institution is that students simultaneously receive a liberal arts education and learn trade skills — carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, or HVAC systems — graduating without crippling debt.

The project has received the support of a number of prominent representatives of the Catholic Church, including Cardinal Raymond Burke and biblical scholar Dr. Scott Hahn.

As the UOJ reported, the Vatican has forbidden Catholics from becoming Freemasons.

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