Day of Theology on Christian Unity: Ecumenical Dialogue Event in Marquette Thursday, December 6, 2012 Messiah Lutheran Church - Marquette, MI Lutheran, Roman Catholic, United Methodist and Episcopalian clergy and lay people are invited to a day of discussion and worship. We will gather on the Festival of St. Nicholas at Messiah Lutheran Church in Marquette, Michigan on Thursday, December 6th. Our focus will be the most recent report of the Lutheran-Catholic Dialogues: “The Hope of Eternal Life.” Our guests for December 6th in Marquette will be: The Reverend Lowell G. Almen The Most Reverend Richard J. Sklba Former Secretary of the ELCA Auxiliary Bishop - Emeritus of Milwaukee Bishop Sklba and Pastor Almen served as Chairs of this most recent round of Dialogues. The theme of the day is the theme of the XI Round: The Hope of Eternal Life. All Times Eastern—December 6th 9:30 a.m. Refreshments 10:00 a.m. Presentations: Pastor Almen and Bishop Sklba NOON Luncheon 1:30-3:30 p.m. Short Presentations and Panel geared for lay and other interested persons: “How do we move forward?” 6:30 p.m. Prayer Service and Reception at Messiah Church Roman Catholic, Methodist, Episcopal and Lutheran judicatory leaders will be leading our worship. The Lutheran Church, Roman Catholic Diocese, Episcopal Diocese, and Methodist Church warmly invite all clergy and interested lay people to this day of theology. To RSVP, please call the Diocese of Marquette at 906-227-9115 by Nov. 26. The charge for lunch is $10. 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, Rome, 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 Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962. He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop 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 Archbishops 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. .