Zagreb church Reader wins humanitarian award

Todd Becker, an active member and Reader in the Anglican church in Zagreb has been honoured with a human rights award from the Croatian Helsinki Human Rights Organization (HHO), the oldest and largest human rights organization in Croatia.

It is the first time the HHO has presented any of its awards to a non-Croatian citizen. It was presented by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Dr. Ivo Sanader, in recognition of Todd’s seven years as Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia promoting and protecting human rights in Croatia.  (OSCE is the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the 56 nation security organization based in Vienna).

The work involved furthering and supporting the development of governmental and non-governmental offices, institutions and organizations to ensure human rights development,  and working with the government,  parliament, NGO’s, political parties and minority groups  to strengthen the legal framework for human rights, particularly minority rights, in Croatia.  Todd says “The award, given to me for my personal work also reflects the extensive successful work of the OSCE Mission as a whole in all of these areas.  The guiding principle for all my work is the life and teachings of Jesus.”

Mr Becker was born in Washington D.C. but has lived in Europe for most of his adult life, working for a total of 43 years in the United States diplomatic service and the OSCE. His participation in the Diocese in Europe includes ministry as Reader in St. Boniface Anglican Church at Bonn, Germany, the Anglican Church in Athens, Greece where he was Reader in charge of Kifissia chapel. For the past eight years he has served as reader in St. Joseph’s Chapel, Zagreb, Croatia (part of Chaplaincy of Vienna).

The Zagreb congregation is primarily made up of English speaking expatriates, diplomats and business people.  Weekly worship at St. Joseph’s Chapel in the Jesuit Training Academy in Zagreb includes Morning Prayer 3 or 4 times monthly and Eucharist about once a month celebrated by the Vienna based Chaplain, Patrick Curran, or a locum priest from England.  

Photograph showing the Croatian Prime Minister congratulating Todd on his award

For more information, please contact Revd. Paul Needle, Diocesan Communications Officer
paulneedle@aol.com 0034 662 482 944