Revised reports from three of the committees making plans for the Lay Congress on May 20-22 -- the administration, education and future planning committees -- have been mailed to several hundred delegates from all parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. In addition a new report was circulated by the Steering Committee.

James W. Callison, president of the Congress, explained that meetings should be held in each parish to consider these reports to see if parishes want to make additional suggestions to the committees on or before May 3. The reports, as revised at subsequent meetings of the committees, and other matters properly brought before the floor of the Congress, will be debated and voted upon in the Congress later in May.

The Steering Committee for the Congress has also announced plans for the Congress itself. The meetings will begin at the Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, May 20. Parish delegates and their alternates will be formally registered before that time. The delegates or alternates functioning for the absent or non-voting delegates will be the voting members of the Congress, although all alternates and ad hoc members will be able to debate. Provision is being made for observers and visitors, who will sit in sections reserved for them.

The steering group has also established a Rules Committee. Any proposal not included in the three basic reports must be submitted to the Rules Committee, which will decide whether it can be presented to the floor of the Congress.

The Congress will continue on Saturday with a banquet that night. A final session will take place on Sunday, May 22.

The Religious of the archdiocese are also preparing for a Congress, to be held on May 1 and 2. When the Lay Congress and the Congress of Religious have completed their discussion and have adopted final recommendations their proposals will be passed to the Archdiocesan Synod, which meets in the fall. The proposals of the laity and the sisters for action by the Synod will be studied over the summer by priests’ committees. None of the proposals are final, of course, unless they are adopted by the Synod.

Parishioners in all parts of the archdiocese are urged to make suggestions to their parish delegates either at scheduled meetings or in letter form.

In addition to matters previously recommended, the Steering Committee has proposed that the Lay Congress establish an Appraisal Committee of twenty lay persons to be elected from among the members of the Congress. Their function will be to review the work of the Lay Congress and to attend the meetings of the Synod. As proposed, the Appraisal Committee would be empowered to call the Lay Congress into session again or to convene a new Lay Congress if this becomes necessary or desirable and if Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan concurs.