Barbara Green Awarded Canterbury Medal For Her Defense of Religious Liberty Yossi Prager, Elder Von G. Keetch, Eric Metaxas, and The Little Sisters of the Poor pay tribute

Washington, D.C. – Barbara Green received the highest honor awarded by Becket, the premier religious liberty law firm, at tonight’s 20th anniversary Canterbury Medal Dinner for her courageous defense of religious liberty during Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. (see video)

“I am humbled to be recognized on behalf of my family for our efforts,” said Barbara Green of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and recipient of the 2015 Canterbury Medal. “We thank Becket for its hard work that brought our long, two-year journey to a joyous Supreme Court victory. We are also grateful for the many who stood with us and prayed for us. I believe there is no greater cause to defend than one’s religious freedom.” (see transcript here)

The Canterbury Medal recognizes courage in the defense of religious liberty and is given annually to a leading figure who champions a robust role for religion in society. This year Becket honors Barbara Green for her courage in standing up for her religious beliefs and her strength as the public face of the family throughout two years of litigation, which ultimately resulted in Hobby Lobby’s Supreme Court victory securing the religious liberty of closely held American family businesses.

“Barbara Green is a true example of the power of one person, of one family, in the cause of religious liberty,” said Bill Mumma, president of Becket.” Advocates of religious freedom can take heart from what  the Green family has accomplished on our behalf.”

This year’s gala was a lively black-tie event at the Pierre Hotel in New York attended by more than 500 guests including religious leaders of all faiths, as well as a wide variety of public figures, members of the press, and supporters of religious liberty. Program highlights included an invocation by Yossi Prager, executive director for North America of the AVI CHAI Foundation, a blessing by Elder Von G. Keetch, First Quorum of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a tribute by New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas, and a benediction by Mother Loraine, Little Sisters of the Poor.

Past Canterbury Medalists include  Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Nobel laureate  Elie  Wiesel, Prison Fellowship founder the late Charles Colson, financier Foster  Friess, Archbishop Charles  Chaput and the former Ambassador to the Vatican, James R. Nicholson, among others. Medalists share a common devotion to liberty and freedom of conscience for people of all faiths.

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Becket attorney, please contact Melinda Skea at  media@becketlaw.org or 202.349.7224. 

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Becket is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. For over 20 years, it has defended clients of all faiths, including  Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Native Americans, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. Its recent cases include three major Supreme Court victories: the landmark ruling in  Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, and the 9-0 rulings in  Holt v. Hobbs  and  Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, the latter of which The Wall Street Journal called one of “the most important religious liberty cases in a half century.”