Landry stressed that the purpose of this new model is not to take more resources from the parishes but to create a mechanism to allow for growth, both at the parish and at the central administration levels.

“The new model will provide a reallocation of what is done but there is no expectation, in the first year, that parishes would necessarily contribute more,” he said.

Currently parishes are contributing over $19 million to the central funds.

Landry explained that the proposed financial model calls for a tithe of around 10 or 11 percent of the parish offertory and the grand-annual collections, which in 2007 totaled approximately $105 million.

Between $10 and $11 million of contributions to last year’s Catholic Appeal came from the parishes and the other $4 million came from major gifts.

Landry stressed that it is the role of the committee to work out the details of the plan. One of the issues that will require further consultation is which parish revenue streams should be included in any sort of a broad-based tithe.

“The model itself is not being proposed so that the archdiocese generates more revenue. What we are hoping is that parish budgets and the archdiocese’s budget will both increase in parallel,” he said.

“The archdiocese’s fiscal health would be tied to parishes’ fiscal health,” he said.

According to Landry, the archdiocese will be providing more fundraising assistance to parishes to enable them to increase their offertories and annual collections.

The committee is expected make its recommendation to the cardinal by January or February, but there is no established deadline, Landry said.

Barrett emphasized the need to develop this new model in a “very consultative way” and to devote as much time as necessary to come up with a proper model for the archdiocese.

“More than one pastor noted that -- given the recent history of the Church and the lack of trust on the issues surrounding reconfiguration and so forth -- if something gets done in a manner that is not perceived as being participative, robust, best-thinking and in consultation, it could potentially undo a lot of the progress that people see under Cardinal Seán.”

The members of the committee are:

--Father Richard W. Fitzgerald, VF, pastor of St. Paul Parish in Wellesley;

--Msgr. Paul V. Garrity, VF, Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lynn;

--Msgr. Francis H. Kelley, VF, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Roslindale;

--Father Bryan Parrish, VF, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Duxbury;

--Father Paul Ritt, VF, pastor of St. John Parish in North Chelmsford;

--Stephen Barrett, of the Catholic Foundation Board of Trustees;

--Herb Lynch, an attorney and a member of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council;

--Paul Sandman, an attorney and member of the Archdiocesan Finance Council;

--Father Thomas S. Foley, episcopal vicar and secretary for Parish Life and Leadership;

--James P. McDonough, chancellor;

--Scot Landry, secretary for Institutional Advancement; and

--Brother James Peterson, OFM Cap., assistant to the Moderator of the Curia.