For families with small children and for elderly members, the noon Mass at St. Joseph's Church in Chatham, ON, Canada is an integral part of our lives. The timing makes it accessible for us to attend and receive the Sacraments during weekdays where other Mass times present a challenge.

In July, changes to the Mass schedule are expected to take place which will eliminate 4 Masses from the daily Mass schedule, one of them being the noon Mass on Fridays. The reasoning behind these changes is to free up our priests to minister to others who are not joining us for the Eucharist. However, what message are we sending to trade the Eucharist, the source and summit of our Christian life, for other ministries? These other ministries can be delegated to others, but it is only through the consecrated hands of our Priests that we can receive spiritual nourishment from receiving the Eucharist.

We urge the Catholic Family of Parishes to take this into consideration, and cater to the needs of us parishioners, and amid the upcoming changes, at least preserve the Noon Mass on Fridays.

Please sign this petition if you believe in preserving accessibility to Mass, specifically on Fridays at 12 pm at St Joseph's Church in Chatham ON.