be the most the recent report be Lutheran-Catholicthe of judicatory leaders will judicatory be worshileaders our leading Methodist, Roman and Catholic, Episcopal Luth “Howwe move interested persons: forward?” do Prayer Receptionand at Service Messia 90 at Marquette Dioceseof the call please RSVP, To clergywarmlyall invite interested lay people and Church, Lutheran The Diocese, EpiscoRoman Catholic Presentations Panel Short and gear p.m. 6:30 Pastor Presentations: BishAlmen and Refreshments 1:30-3:30 p.m. NOON a.m. 10:00 a.m. 9:30 All Times Eastern—December 6th daythe theme XIof theme the Round: the is of The Sklba and Bishop Pastor asAlmen t served Chairs of December guests for Our in Marquette be: will 6th T on Michigan Marquette, in Church Lutheran Messiah will We worship. and discussion of day Epis a to and invited Methodist United Catholic, Roman Lutheran,

Day of of Day Theology Unity: Christian on The Reverend Lowell Reverend The G. Almen FormerSecretary the ELCA of Messiah Lutheran Church Lutheran Marquette, - MI Messiah Ecumenical Dialogue Event Event Dialogue Ecumenical Thursday,December 2012 6, Luncheon Luncheon in Marquettein 6-227-9115 by Nov. 26. The charge for lunch is $10 is lunch charge for The 26. by Nov. 6-227-9115

to this to this day theology. of Dialogues: Dialogues: of “TheEternal Hope Life.” Hope Eternal of Life. his most recent his round Dialogues. of The gather on the Festival of St. Nicholas at Nicholas St. of Festival the on gather hursday, December 6th. Our focus will focus hursday, Our 6th. December pal Diocese, and pal Methodist Church oain lry n ly epe are people lay and clergy copalian Auxiliary Bishop Auxiliary - of Milwaukee Emeritus The Most Reverend Most The Richard Sklba J. ed for lay other and op Sklba op h h Church p. p. eran eran

. . Bishop Richard J. Sklba was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on September 11, 1935, and was baptized at Holy Trinity Parish on September 30, 1935.

From 1954 to 1960, he studied at the Gregorian University, , completing an under- graduate degree in philosophy and a graduate degree in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1959.

In 1962, he returned to Rome for three more years of study. While there, he attended the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and completed the equivalent of an advanced master’s degree in Sacred Scripture. He completed the equivalent of a doctoral degree in biblical studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas of Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome. He was privileged enough to be present in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, for the opening session of the on October 11, 1962.

He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Rembert Weakland on December 19, 1979.

Active in the church’s ecumenical and interreligious relationships on a national and local level, Bishop Sklba has co-chaired the national Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue since 1998.

His many professional memberships include the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society for Biblical Literature. Bishop Sklba has also published articles, books, papers and occasional book reviews. In 1988, he was awarded the Catholic Theological Society of America’s John Courtney Murray Award for achievement in Theology.

Bishop Sklba continued to serve the Archdiocese of Milwaukee as an auxiliary bishop and general vicar under Dolan and Listecki. He also taught Scripture at Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners, from 2006 through 2009. Pope Benedict XVI accepted Bishop Sklba’s resignation a month after his 75th birthday in 2010; as a “retired” bishop, he provides weekend help at parishes and presides at confirmations.

Pastor Lowell G. Almen was Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was elected in 1987 and served until his retirement in 2007. He previously served as editor of The Lutheran Standard, the official publication of the American Lutheran Church. He re- ceived a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and history—political science in 1963 from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. He was ordained in 1967 from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN with a master of divinity degree.

He has previously served as an associate campus pastor and director of communications for Concordia College, Moorhead. He provided pastoral assistance at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead and served as pastor of St. Peter’s (now Peace) Lutheran Church in Dresser, WI. Pastor Almen was a delegate to the Eighth Assembly of the World Council of Churches, in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1998; and in 1990 he was a delegate to the Eighth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation. He has visited Geneva, Rome, Canterbury, and Istanbul for ecumenical conversations. He was a member of the tenth and eleventh round of the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue and was the first chair of the Lutheran-Reformed Coor- dinating Committee for the implementation of the Formula of Agreement between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America, and the United Church of Christ.

He has traveled to various parts of the world, including Somalia, Namibia, Madagascar, Cameroon and Ethio- pia to report on hunger relief and global mission activities with partner churches.

He is the author of One Great Cloud of Witnesses , 1997 and Old songs for a New Journey , 1990, and most recently, More to the Story: The Legacy and Promise of Lutheran Pension and Benefit Plans , 2010.