Leadership

The people building the Institute

Patron

His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins

Cardinal Collins serves as Patron of the Gregory the Great Institute, lending his support and encouragement to the mission of Catholic cultural renewal in Canada.

Staff

Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping

Founding Executive Director

Dr. Topping is the founding Executive Director of the Gregory the Great Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting cultural renewal in Canada. He is the author of over 10 books on Catholic education and culture. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

In his professorial career he taught in the US and helped establish or lead three Catholic Studies programs in Canada, including while serving as Academic Dean. He has worked as a consultant to both provincial and federal elected officials. Dr. Topping and his wife have 10 children and are a founding family of Campion Classical Academy in Alberta. His most recent book is Thinking as Though God Exists: Newman on Evangelizing the 'Nones'. His YouTube Series launches during Easter 2026.

Catherine Renneberg

Director of Programs

M.Div. from Newman Theological College. Serves on the Board of St. Therese Institute (Saskatchewan). Experience in church ministry across Western Canada.

crenneberg@gregorythegreat.ca

Victor Carpay

Communications & Development

Lifelong Albertan passionate about renewing culture through faith and reason. BA in Catholic Studies from Newman Theological College. Experience in sales, business, and political activism.

vcarpay@gregorythegreat.ca