The Most Reverend,

Jose Gomez

Archbishop of Los Angeles

3424 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90010

Your Excellency,

As you are aware, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and many of the LA Unified School Districts as well as several other districts around the state of California are voting to require COVID-19 vaccinations in order for students to attend in-person school. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has publicly acknowledged that they are considering a state-wide mandate for those students who qualify.

The LA Diocese has to date complied with the CDPH mask mandate on students in Catholic schools and has publicly taken the position that is required to do so because it is a public health mandate. The LA Diocese has thus far chosen to deny medical mask exemptions for all children.

As parents of Catholic School students in Los Angeles County, we would like to invite you to a public discussion about vaccine mandates from the CDPH or other authorities and give you the opportunity to explain how the LA Diocese plans to respond to these mandates, once they are put into place. The COVID-19 pandemic and the response from our schools impacts the safety and health of our children, and we believe it deserves an open dialogue with you and the Diocese to understand how you plan to protect our children. Public school parents have been given the opportunity to voice their opinions to their various school boards; we deserve the same consideration.

This petition is signed by parents from LA Diocese schools and should serve at the very least as a list of families who would be willing to leave our wonderful schools & parishes should vaccine mandates be followed with no allowed exemption (religious, personal belief or medical).

Now is the time for the Catholic Church to put children first and fight for what is just. We pray daily that you will make the right choice.

Signed,

Concerned Los Angeles County Catholic School Parents