About Us
Founded by and for single mothers, we have a bold vision to transform the culture surrounding single mothers in the Catholic Church. Our mission is to build a vibrant faith community for single mothers. We offer in-person and online retreats, weekly meetings and many other activities for single mothers.
Our History
Inspired by a desire to create a community in the Church for single mothers, Talitha Cere, in collaboration with Dominus Vobiscum retreat centre, launched a retreat for single mothers in 2016. The retreat has been a yearly staple ever since. In 2018, Claire Brown, who had attended the retreat, was inspired to begin offering monthly gatherings focussed on prayer and sharing. Women of all ages, backgrounds and stories have joined the Momentum community, and we are grateful to every one of them.
2020 Virtual Retreat
2018 Retreat, Quebec, Canada
Our Team
Talitha Cere
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Talitha was a single mother for 14 years and founded the first single mothers' retreat in 2016. Since then, she has been devoted to developing Momentum and now serves as our Executive Director. Talitha is now married with three children.
Claire Brown
Co-Founder
Claire has been a single mom of her son since he was born in 2000. In 2018 Claire began leading monthly meetings for single mothers. She is a co-founder of Momentum and leads many of our activities. She works as a researcher at McGill University, where she has worked since 2005.
Rose Darwent
Advisor
Rose is a mom of four and grandmother of two. She is a special ed teacher for adults with Autism. Her husband of 32 years left her five years ago, and she went from serving at the Single Mothers Retreat to being part of the weekend as a retreatant. Rose and her husband have since reconciled.
Jackie Cere
Advisor
Jackie and her husband Daniel Cere founded Dominus Vobiscum retreat centre in 1998 and are still its directors. Jackie has been a spiritual director for over 20 years and supports momentum with discernment and planning.
Fr. Rob Brennan s.j.
Chaplain
Father Rob Brennan is currently the Chaplain, teacher, and former President Emeritus at Loyola High School in Montreal. He has taught in Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg. He worked on missions in South Africa and Southeast Asia most notably in India, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.
