Women and men are invited to explore the call to unity and forgiveness at a day of recollection hosted by the Bishop’s Commission on Women in the Church and in Society on Saturday, Oct. 1. It will be held at the Spalding Pastoral Center in Peoria.

The speaker for the day, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the commission, will be Father David Whiteside, pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish in Havana and Immaculate Conception in Manito. His topic is “He Was Lost and Is Found: A Mission of Reconciliation.”

Because Oct. 1 is also the memorial of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Father Whiteside will offer a meditation on St. Therese and Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Servant of God, in his presentations.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. and Father Whiteside’s first talk is planned for 11 a.m. He will speak again after lunch and then the group will go to St. Mary’s Cathedral for a Holy Hour, the rosary and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, and Father Whiteside will concelebrate Mass at 4 p.m.

The cost is $20, which includes a catered lunch. To register, send a check along with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to Sandi Calvin, 403 Greenbriar Drive No. 204, Normal IL 61761. Please make checks payable to “Commission on Women.”

The deadline for registration is Sept. 22.

For more information, call Calvin at (309) 268-0604 or go to cdop.org and download the flyer.

For 25 years, the Bishop’s Commission on Women in the Church and in Society has worked to promote the dignity and gifts of Catholic women in the Diocese of Peoria. Members have sought to do this by acting as an advisory group on women’s concerns to the bishop, helping women to become holier and closer to God, and encouraging women to teach their families and the community consistent Catholic tradition.