Current Board of Directors, Exiting Executive Director, and Committees

HONORARY CHAIRMAN

Fr. Raymond Lafontaine

Fr. Raymond Lafontaine is the Episcopal Vicar for the English-Speaking Faithful and Director of the Office for English Pastoral Services (O.E.P.S.). In communion with the O.E.P.S. team, he coordinates English-language pastoral activities and provides support to parishes, Catholic institutions, and community groups. After undergraduate studies at McGill in Mathematics and a brief career as an actuary, Fr. Raymond earned his Bachelor in Theology (B.Th.) and M.A. (Christian Ethics) degrees from St. Paul’s University Seminary, as well as licentiate (STL) and doctorate (STD) degrees in moral theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained in 1991, served as associate pastor at St. Luke’s, then as pastor at St. Monica’s. He taught in the part-time faculty in the department of Theological Studies at Concordia and at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal. He is involved in the preaching of parish missions, retreats, and diocesan study days, integrating his passion for music, film, spirituality, and social analysis in all encounters.

CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Talitha Cere

Talitha Cere is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Momentum, a faith community for Catholic single mothers that was founded in 2018.  Momentum strives to build a vibrant faith community for Catholic single mothers through retreats and local chapter gathering. Prior to Momentum, Talitha worked in business for 20 years serving as Vice President of Marketing and Product Development. 

Karen deKoninck

Karen deKoninck is a Pastoral Agent mandated for comprehensive family faith education as well as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) for the 8 parishes of the Saint John Paul II Pastoral Unit (Diocese of Saint Jean Longueuil). She is also a member of the Diocesan Commission for Catechesis. Karen participated in two phases of a focus group with the Centre for Religious Education and Catechesis at St. Paul’s University. The focus group was devoted to finding ways of bridging the gap between adult faith and life. Years of volunteering in liturgy and faith education led to her pursuing a certificate in Pastoral Ministry from College André-Grasset as well as a BA with a major in Theological Studies and a minor in Human Relations from Concordia University. She considers it a privilege and a blessing to accompany and rejoice families and adults of all ages on their faith journeys.

Cory Andrew Labrecque

Cory Andrew Labrecque, PHD,  is Professor of Bioethics and Theological Ethics, and inaugural Chair of Educational Leadership in the Ethics of Life at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at Université Laval (Quebec City), where he is Vice-Dean and Director of Graduate Studies in Theology. Cory earned a BSc in Anatomy and Cell Biology, an MA in Bioethics and Religious Studies, and a PhD in Religious Ethics at McGill University. Cory’s teaching and research explore how the Abrahamic religions—with a focus on the Roman Catholic tradition—approach ethical issues in medicine (especially at the end of life), biotechnology (especially in the context of artificial intelligence), and the environment. He is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (which counsels the Vatican on ethical issues in medicine, biotechnology, and the environment), president of the Canadian Bioethics Society, and vice-president of the National Committee for Ethics and Ageing (Quebec).

Loveness Mabhunu

Dr. Loveness Mabhunu is a self-motivated and passionate Freelancer/Consultant, an educator, author, motivational speaker and coach. She coaches teams and organizations, helping them adapt and excel in professional project practices. Her strong interpersonal skills and background allow her to communicate effectively at all levels. She is always ready to learn, adapt, and contribute to successful project outcomes. Loveness holds a Ph.D in Humanities and Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University, Georgia (USA) and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe. She is a recipient of Fulbright Scholarship, Delta Kappa Gamma World Fellowship and IPS Scholarship. She has been an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy at the University of Zimbabwe and at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Georgia (USA). She has worked with various Community Organizations in Zimbabwe, USA and Canada. Her passion is to educate, motivate and empower people throughout the world.

Cristiane Tinmouth

Cristiane Tinmouth, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), is Associate Vice-President Financial Services at McGill University. She has over thirty years of professional experience, fifteen of which were in public practice at KPMG. Her career evolved to industry, where she served as Chief Financial Officer in a privately owned pharmaceutical company. At McGill since 2008, she is a member of the Pension Administration Committee, Chair of the Pension Administration Audit Committee and a resource person to the Audit and Finance Committees. She is also on the Board of the Newman Association of Montreal as well being a long standing Trustee of the City House Foundation of the Sacred Heart School of Montreal. She is a graduate of Queen’s University, with a BA Honors in Economics and McGill University, earning a Diploma in Public Accountancy.

Brian K. Vidal

Brian earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Kinesiology with a Minor in Political Science from McGill University before earning his Bachelor of Law (LLB) at Université de Montréal. He is a practising lawyer, member of the Barreau du Québec. Brian advocates for personal and collective ownership of rights and responsibilities. He promotes community dialogue on timely access to justice.

EXITING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Maria G. Centoni

After nearly 2.5 years of stewardship of the Executive Director role, l discerned it is my duty to create room for a different type of leadership.
The upcoming transition is rich in opportunities, key to the ESCC’s becoming. Its evolution and further contributions to the life-giving relationships and bridges it can facilitate building with and for our communities will be enriched by new perspectives in governance and management. 
The revisiting of staffing and committee structures after a full year of implementation of our 2024-2027 Strategic Roadmap is an integral part of the ESCC’s journey forward. There is much being carefully considered by the Board! You will need to stay posted for developments!
I will be with the ESCC until May 22 and am committed to contributing to the onboarding of the new team.
I thank each of you for the dialogues, connections, and collaborations you personally afforded me and entrust to Providence the crossing of our paths!

Pace e bene to all!

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

TALITHA CERE , President
CRISTIANE TINMOUTH, Treasurer
BRIAN K. VIDAL, Past President

UPCOMING STRUCTURAL COMMITTEES

Brand new committees coming soon!

ADVISORY COMMITTEE – HISTORICAL MEMBERS

Reactivation and renewal planned. Stay tuned for developments!