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Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge History 1962 - 2006 Among the immigrants to Texas from Mexico, in the early 20th century, came many Master Masons who petitioned their home lodges for permission to work in Texas. Permission was granted and several lodges became active, received new members and operated in Spanish throughout the state. At some point the Grand Lodge of Texas opted to request that those Grand Lodges in Mexico sever ties with thier lodges in Texas, as this amounted to invasion of territorial jurisdiction. Mexican Grand Lodges were forced to comply or loose fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of Texas. The several Mexican Chartered Lodges formed their own seperate Grand Lodge at Laredo, Texas. Most work in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. They all work in the Spanish language. They do not have recognition in Mexico, nor do they have recognition from the Grand Lodge of Texas. It was from one of these lodges that a group of Masons decided to petition the Grand Lodge of Texas for a Charter in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The Grand Lodge of Texas was open to the idea they informed the petitioners that there must be 50 Texas Masons in good standing to issue a charter. In order for the Mexican Masons to transfer membership to a Texas Lodge they would need to be "regularized" in a lodge with fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of Texas. Arragements were made with Tancredo Lodge, Number 10 in Zaragoza, Coahuila, Mexico for the bretheren to receive their degrees. A letter was issued on May 30, 1962 that reqiurements and legal formalities were completed and a "Carta de Quite" or "demit" issued on behalf of the bretheren so that they might be included as charter members of Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge #1397 A.F & A.M. The lodge dubbed these men "Los doce apostoles" or "The Twelve Aposltes". Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge #1397 AF & A. M. was chartered in 1962 by The Grand Lodge of Texas. Among those Texas Master Masons who would participate as charter members were Past Masters from local lodges. Hence, Lorenzo de Zavala Lodge was organized with a great number of leaders. Currently (2006), a large number of lodge members are Hispanic. But today there are Hispanic surnamed Masons in most of the Lodges in the 30th Masonic District. This was not the case before 1962. Hispanic Masons in Anglo Lodges were few and far between. Initially, the lodge rented space from Temple Lodge #4 at their old location downtown. Later the lodge acquiered an old two story frame building at our current location 310 Enid St., in Houston. A new cement block structure was built on the parking lot. Then, the old building was razed for parking.
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