Invitational Christian Rosicrucian society / United States
Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis
The Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis is the American Masonic Rosicrucian society, formed in 1880 and open by invitation to Christian Master Masons in recognised mainstream jurisdictions. Its work centres on Colleges, study, papers and a nine-grade Rosicrucian structure.
This guide explains the public Christian or chivalric character of Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis in United States, including the qualifications and local commitments that should be checked before an enquiry. By Beyond the Craft Editorial Team · Published 14 June 2026 · Last reviewed 21 June 2026 · 8 min read.
What it is
The proper constitutional category of Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis matters. Readers should distinguish its ceremonial subject, its membership qualification and the present organisation that governs it.
Why people explore it
Christian Master Masons committed to serious reading, papers, philosophy and a small College environment.
What not to assume
Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis is not a rank above Craft Masonry and is not automatically equivalent to a similarly named system in another jurisdiction.
Documented chronology
The society’s own history dates the formation of a High Council to 21 April 1880 and consecration to 21 September 1880. [1]
The Latinised name Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis was adopted in 1934. [1]
The society works through Colleges under a High Council, with membership by invitation and a Christian profession requirement. [1] [3]
Rosicrucian study within a Masonic frame
SRICF’s public information page describes a Masonic Rosicrucian society with Colleges, a High Council, invitation-only membership and a Christian profession requirement. That makes it narrower and more explicitly Masonic than many public esoteric organisations using Rosicrucian language. [1]
The work is best understood as study, papers, symbolism and graded reflection rather than as a replacement for Craft Lodge, Scottish Rite or York Rite membership. [1] [3]
A well-dated American origin
The society’s own account gives clear dates: High Council formation on 21 April 1880 and consecration on 21 September 1880, with charters linked to Scottish and English Rosicrucian contacts. [1] [2]
The 1934 adoption of the Latinised name is another useful detail because it separates the society’s early American formation from its later formal title. [1]
Eligibility and College life
The public eligibility statement is unusually direct: membership is by invitation, based on regular mainstream Masonic affiliation and profession of Christian faith. College membership limits and local practice mean availability is not simply a matter of applying online. [1]
A College may involve papers, discussion, advancement through grades and close contact with symbolic, Hermetic, Kabbalistic and Christian esoteric material. The time commitment is often intellectual as much as calendar-based. [1] [3]
Who may value it
SRICF may suit a Christian Master Mason drawn to Rosicrucian symbolism, serious reading, papers and small scholarly fellowship. [1] [3]
It may not suit someone looking for a broad service club, an open non-Masonic esoteric society or a quick ceremonial progression. AMD, Scottish Rite and SRIA are useful comparisons depending on jurisdiction and interest. [1] [2]
Key distinction
SRICF is a Christian Masonic research and study society, not a public occult order and not the same body as SRIA in England, even though the names and Rosicrucian inheritance are related.
Key questions
Frequently asked questions
What most distinguishes Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis?
SRICF is a Christian Masonic research and study society, not a public occult order and not the same body as SRIA in England, even though the names and Rosicrucian inheritance are related.
Who may join Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis?
Membership is by invitation for Christian Master Masons in recognised mainstream jurisdictions, with College membership deliberately limited. Confirm the present faith declaration, prerequisite memberships and local admission route with the governing body.
How should its history be understood?
The society’s own history dates the formation of a High Council to 21 April 1880 and consecration to 21 September 1880. The Christian or chivalric setting is symbolic context; documentary continuity must come from dated records of the modern body.
What should I compare with Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis?
Start with Scottish Rite Northern Jurisdiction and Allied Masonic Degrees USA. Compare faith wording, prerequisite memberships, governing body and ordinary ceremonial commitment.
- SRICF: information page ↗Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis · Official organisational source · Retrieved 21 June 2026 · Supports: 1880 formation, membership requirements, college structure.
- SRICF: history ↗Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis · Official organisational source · Retrieved 21 June 2026 · Supports: historical background, Scottish and English Rosicrucian links, American formation.
- SRICF: degree structure ↗Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis · Official organisational source · Retrieved 21 June 2026 · Supports: nine grades, study structure, Rosicrucian educational framework.
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Related Reading
The network of sovereign state and territorial Grand Lodges often described historically as mainstream American Freemasonry.
United States guidePrince Hall FreemasonryA historic family of sovereign Grand Lodges tracing authority through African Lodge No. 459.
United States guideRoyal Arch Masonry in the USAThe Capitular branch of the American York Rite, normally the first body entered after the Master Mason degree.