Dick Corwine, 33° appears to give a deeply moving soliloquy as Pontius Pilate, explaining his reasons for putting Jesus Christ to death and expressing his remorse for his decision.

The Valley of Omaha Scottish Rite celebrated the annual Remembrance and Renewal ceremony, hosted by Lee Terry, 33°, Wise Master of the Chapter of Rose Croix and his officers.

Remembrance and Renewal, including the extinguishing and relighting of the lights is, in its simplest terms, a celebration of the gift of life. Quoting from the Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite, “The Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal, including the Mystic Banquet, is not a religious observance. It is neither the Feast of the Passover nor a Sacrament of Holy Communion, although it commemorates the spirit of both days.”

The evening began with the Remembrance and Renewal ceremonial team extinguishing the candles, followed by the officers of Rose Croix remembering the Brethren we've lost this past year. Before the candles were re-lit, Dick Corwine, 33° gave a deeply moving soliloquy as Pontius Pilate, in which he explains his reasons for putting Jesus Christ to death, and expresses dire remorse for his decision.

The ceremonial team again appeared, expressing their hope in the future as the lights were re-lit. The Remembrance and Renewal ceremony is truly an impressive event each year.

Afterward, the Culinary Masters prepared an excellent dinner of ham, scallped potatoes, and green beans, with the Knights of St. Andrew serving ice cream. A short meeting followed, and the Scottish Rite elected 5 members to receive the degrees in the Spring Reunion.

The officers and members are proud to share this special day with each other, and in spirit, with thousands of Scottish Rite Masons through out the world. We sincerely thank all the Brethren and their families who shared this time with us in our celebration of life.