MILWAUKEE — On Tuesday, Oct. 31, the Roman Catholic bishops of Wisconsin will join with the bishops of Wisconsin’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at a service commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. The joint service will be one of reconciliation and witness, focusing on 50 years of sustained and fruitful Lutheran-Catholic dialogue.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee, Bishops Robert Morlino of Madison, David Ricken of Green Bay, William Callahan of La Crosse, and Auxiliary Bishops Jeffrey Haines, James Schuerman, and Emeritus Richard Sklba, all of Milwaukee, and the Very Reverend James Tobloski, representing Bishop James Powers of Superior, will lead the service.
Joining them will be ELCA leaders Bishops Paul D. Erickson of the Greater Milwaukee Synod, Mary Stumme Froiland of the South Central Synod of Wisconsin, Jim Arends of the La Crosse Area Synod, Rick Hoyme of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, and Gerald Mansholt of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin.
The common prayer will be held one year from the day on which Pope Francis, Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Martin Junge presided at a similar service commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. As with that service, Wisconsin’s Catholic and Lutheran leaders will sign a statement that acknowledges past conflicts, shared principles of faith, and renewed pledges of commitment.
The Wisconsin observance, entitled “From Conflict to Communion,” will be held at Ascension Lutheran Church, 1236 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee. All are invited to attend and there is no fee for admittance.
The evening begins with a prelude provided by Catholic and Lutheran choirs at 6:30 p.m., followed by a prayer service at 7 p.m. The service will focus on three worldwide themes: thanksgiving, repentance, and common commitment.
For more information about the service, visit https://www.archmil.org/offices/ecumenical/Commemorating-the-Reformation.htm