Gregory the Great Institute
Inspiring Canadian Catholic Culture
Prospectus 2026
The Case for Catholic Cultural Renewal in Canada
An invitation to build institutions that will serve the Church for generations.
The Challenge
Catholic Intellectual Life in Canada Is in Retreat
For most of the twentieth century, Canadian Catholics built and sustained a rich infrastructure of intellectual and cultural life — universities, journals, learned societies, and public intellectuals who shaped the nation's discourse. That infrastructure has largely collapsed.
Catholic universities have secularized. Journals have folded. The institutions that once formed leaders and transmitted the tradition to the next generation have weakened or disappeared. The result is a generation of Canadian Catholics who are educated but unformed — capable professionals who lack the intellectual and spiritual framework to engage the culture with confidence.
In the United States, Catholics have responded with a flourishing ecosystem of renewal: the Napa Institute, the Acton Institute, FOCUS, the Augustine Institute, Word on Fire, and dozens of others. Canada has no equivalent. The Gregory the Great Institute exists to fill that gap.
We are not lamenting what was lost. We are building what comes next — a lay-led movement of formation, scholarship, and beauty that serves the Church in Canada for generations.
Our Approach
Theory of Change
Cultural renewal does not happen through ideas alone. It requires institutions — sustained, funded, well-governed organizations that form people over time. The Gregory the Great Institute operates on three mutually reinforcing pillars:
Formation
Intensive programs that form the whole person — mind, soul, and community. Great Books seminars, leadership camps, Book Study groups, and the Faith and Reason Seminar bring Catholics together for deep, sustained intellectual engagement.
Outcome: Formed leaders who think with the tradition and act in the culture.
Courses
Short courses and masterclasses in the Philosophy of Aquinas, Virtuous Leadership, Christian Beauty, and Classical Education — accessible to professionals, educators, and lifelong learners across the country.
Outcome: Catholics equipped to engage the culture with intellectual confidence.
Publications
Magnalia — the journal of Catholic cultural renewal in Canada. 60 pages of essays, letters, and art in every issue. Distributed to every Catholic bishop and seminary rector in the country. The intellectual foundation for a movement.
Outcome: A shared intellectual culture that unites Catholics across Canada.
Proof of Concept
Year One: What We Built
In twelve months, with a lean team and modest budget, the Gregory the Great Institute delivered measurable results across every pillar.
Magnalia Journal
Published the inaugural issue — 60 pages of essays, letters, and art — and placed it in the hands of every Catholic bishop and seminary rector in Canada. The first publication to achieve this reach in a generation. Issue Two is in production for Fall 2026.
Renewing Culture Conference
The inaugural conference at Mt Carmel Spirituality Centre drew speakers and seekers from across Western Canada for a day of reflection on recovering leisure, culture, and the sacred in everyday life. The 2nd annual conference is confirmed for October 2026.
Book Studies
Launched with over 76 registered participants studying C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man. Groups are now multiplying coast to coast, with new series launching each term — accessible from anywhere in Canada via video.
Faith and Reason Seminar
Continuing the seminar Dr. Topping developed at Newman Theological College — an intensive formation experience for Catholic professionals and leaders in the Great Books tradition.
St. Gregory's Music & Leadership Camp
Four nights of fiddle, penny whistle, voice, games, prayer, and leadership formation for youth ages 12–18. Building the next generation of Catholic cultural leaders through beauty and friendship.
National Prayer Breakfast & FINE Gathering
Dr. Topping and Victor Carpay were invited to the FINE Gathering and National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa — building relationships with Members of Parliament and national leaders who share the vision of faith-informed public life.
Looking Ahead
Strategic Plan: 2026–2028
Year One proved the concept. Years Two and Three build the institution.
Consolidate & Grow
- Publish Magnalia Issue Two and establish biannual cadence
- Launch the Magnalia Letter — free monthly essays and event invitations to 3,000+ subscribers
- Expand Book Studies to every province with French-language pilot
- Host the 2nd Annual Renewing Culture Conference (October 2026)
- Launch Dr. Topping's YouTube series on Catholic intellectual life
- Hire a full-time development officer
- Secure independent CRA charitable registration
Institutional Launch
- Launch certificate and diploma programs in Christian Leadership
- Establish a Canadian Catholic think-tank producing original research
- Pilot a trades formation program for young Catholic men
- Expand the national conference to a second city (Toronto or Ottawa)
- Grow Magnalia to paid subscription model with institutional distribution
- Build an endowment fund for long-term sustainability
National Presence
- Programs operating in every major region of Canada
- Think-tank publications influencing Catholic public discourse nationally
- First cohort of certificate graduates entering leadership roles
- Sustainable revenue model: earned income, recurring donors, institutional grants
- Recognized as the leading Canadian Catholic institute for cultural renewal
Investment Priorities
Funds raised will support the following strategic priorities:
Who We Are
Leadership
Patron
His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins
Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto. Cardinal Collins lends his support and encouragement to the mission of Catholic cultural renewal in Canada.
Founding Executive Director
Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping
DPhil (Oxford). Author of 11 books on Catholic education and culture. Former Academic Dean of Newman Theological College, where he secured over $1M in outreach funding and nearly doubled enrollment. Helped establish three Catholic Studies programs in Canada. Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. Father of 10.
Catherine Renneberg
Director of Programs
M.Div., Newman Theological College. Board member, St. Therese Institute (SK). Experience in church ministry across Western Canada.
Victor Carpay
Communications & Development
BA in Catholic Studies, Newman Theological College. Background in sales, business, and political activism. Lifelong Albertan.
Board of Directors
Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping (Chair) · Brian Holdsworth · Dr. Celene Sidloski · Catherine Renneberg · Caleb Ropp
Advisory Board
Jeff Lockert (President, CCO Canada) · Fr Dcn Andrew Bennett (Cardus; formerly Canadian Ambassador for Religious Freedom) · Dr. Keith Cassidy (Past President, Seat of Wisdom College) · Alane Boudreau (Founding Board Member, St John Choir Schola)
Fellows
Dr. Joe Woodard (Ethics & Bioethics) · Dr. Celene Sidloski (Classical Education) · Mark Ingham, PhD Cand. (Vocations Research) · Fr. Michael Bombak (Theology & Cultural Renewal)
What Others Are Saying
Endorsements
"I have known Dr. Ryan Topping and appreciated his work for a long time. I am delighted to see this important work that he is doing to continue building up the Catholic community and advancing the common good in Canada."
"The Gregory the Great Institute shows great promise in its commitment to forming Canadian Catholic leaders in all walks of life. Dr Ryan Topping has established a reputation as one our country's most prolific and insightful Catholic scholars."
"I have appreciated Dr. Ryan Topping's work for several years. I support the mission of the Gregory the Great Institute and look forward to seeing the good it will bring to the Church in Canada."
"Dr. Ryan Topping is among Canada's most important philosopher-theologians. His work on renewing Catholic culture over the years stands in the tradition of Cardinal Newman and G.K. Chesterton."
Join the Mission
How to Give
Every tier is a named relationship — not a donation receipt. You are not giving to a cause. You are joining a community that is building something that will outlast all of us.
Friend of the Institute
$15+/month · $180+/year
Monthly prayer, digital Magnalia, early event registration, Magnalia Letter, named recognition.
Patron
$50+/month · $600+/year
Everything in Friend, plus print Magnalia subscription, annual Patron gathering with Dr. Topping, recognition in Magnalia, signed book.
Leadership Circle
$5,000+/year
Everything in Patron, plus annual one-on-one with Dr. Topping, input on Institute direction, named recognition in flagship programs.
Visionary Partner
$25,000+/year
Strategic partnership in building the think-tank, certificate programs, and national conference series. Shaping the future of Catholic intellectual life in Canada.
One-time gifts of any amount are gratefully received.
Institutional gifts and planned giving — please contact Dr. Topping directly.
Bulk Magnalia orders for parishes, seminaries, and institutions: 10+ copies at $30 each.
Let's Build Together
The question is not whether the mission is working. It's whether enough people will join it. If you believe Catholic intellectual and cultural life in Canada is worth rebuilding, we invite you to be part of what comes next.
Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping
Founding Executive Director