This petition is to garner support to make a preemptive plea to the Archdiocese of Chicago to make masking optional for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year.

The schools under the directive of the Archdiocese of Chicago were leaders in education during the 2020-2021 school year as they remained open and offered in person schooling from the onset of the pandemic.

We are asking that they show similar compassion for our children in not requiring them to wear masks for the upcoming year.  We have learned a great deal about the negative consequences masking has had since it was implemented in schools last year and we would like to see a change.

Our main concern is the detrimental impact further mandated masking will have upon their physical, psychological and social- emotional well being.  As masking for 6-10 hours, 5 days a week is unsanitary, harmful to their immune system, psychologically damaging and emotionally traumatic.

It inhibits speech development and the establishment of trust. It also hinders relationship development and communication among the children and with their teachers.

A study out of Germany (JAMA) recently discovered that children inhale 3-4 times the unsafe level of Carbon Dioxide while wearing a mask.  The Highest levels of Carbon Dioxide were found among the youngest students.  Are you aware that that the World Health Organization (WHO) does not even recommend masking children under the age of 12?

While in the United States, children are expected to wear a mask over the age of 2 years old.  Despite the fact that children have found to be not a main vectors in the spread of Covid and they have been largely unaffected by the virus.   

Did you know that children have had a higher likelihood of dying from the flu than they have had from Covid? Also 3x higher risk of dying from car accidents, 10x higher risk from drowning and 20x higher risk from homicide.

As a concerned community of mothers, fathers, parishioners and followers of Christ’s love - we are pleading with the Archdiocese of Chicago to have compassion for the well being of our children and make mask wearing optional for the entire student body for the 2021-2022 school year.

God bless.