Detroit— The people of the Archdiocese of Detroit will not have to wait until the archdiocesan pastoral plan is announced early next year to see the recommendations concerning changes in the archdiocese.

The proposals coming out of Phase II of the Together in Faith planning process, along with the recommendations of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council will be posted shortly after they are approved at the Wednesday evening, Nov. 30, APC meeting.

The recommendations the APC is making – regarding parish clustering, mergers or closings – will be available for viewing on the archdiocesan website www.aodonline.org, within days of the meeting, said Bill Blaul, of the Archdiocese of Detroit Department of Communications.

“The intention from the start of the process has been to honor Archbishop Allen Vigneron’s commitment to transparency,” Blaul said.

The recommendations from the planning groups as sent to the APC will be posted on the website this month, he added.

The objective of the TIF process is to work toward the optimal allocation of personnel, financial resources and physical facilities in order to best meet the spiritual and sacramental needs of the people of the six-county archdiocese.

Some 1,500 lay people, chosen by their pastors to represent their parishes, have been meeting in planning groups to work on the proposals, which have then been reviewed by the APC, with referrals back to the various groups for clarifications or additional information as needed.

After the Nov. 30 meeting, the proposals and recommendations will go to Archbishop Vigneron, who will decide the final shape of the revised pastoral plan after getting input from the other archdiocesan consultative bodies. His final decisions are expected in early 2012.

A parallel process is under way involving archdiocesan K-8 schools, but those recommendations are not expected for several months yet.

APC Chair Edward J. “Chip” Miller said the release of the proposals and APC recommendations is consistent with how Together In Faith has been conducted since its first phase began in 2003.

Miller said the recommendations will be somewhat of a mixture, in some cases detailed as to what should happen to specific parishes, and when, while some others will be less specific – only stating goals to be achieved in coming years be several parishes.

In crafting their proposed solutions, the planning groups have had the benefit of economic data and housing data, as well as both sacramental and financial data on each parish. A key consideration is that the number of priests available to serve in the archdiocese is expected to continue to decline.

With all of that in mind, the planning groups have worked to develop plans that address the key mission priorities set by the archdiocese — Evangelization and Catechesis; Christian Service and Outreach; Youth and young Adults; Lay Leadership; Stewardship and Administration, Catholic Schools and Vocations.