Father Tobias Breer goes among the people. He listens to their needs and their worries. And he is a passionate runner.
In order to help the many impoverished families in northern Duisburg, Father Tobias runs marathons, not just in Germany but around the globe. He has already completed more than 90 marathons, including one in the Oman desert and the “big five” marathons: Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. And he is always looking for new challenges; at the end of 2020, he plans to run 300 kilometres in six days through the desert of Dubai. With the sponsorship money that he collects for each kilometre he has established a help centre where children, their families, refugees and others in need can access support in the form of advice, food, nutrition courses, educational offerings and much more. His mother died young, when he was still a child. Father Tobias knows what it feels like to suffer. To date, Father Tobias has run over 60,000 kilometres to combat poverty. For him running is also a spiritual experience. He takes strength from it to fulfil his duties.
“Running gives me strength. When I am running, I have time to myself for thinking but above all for praying. I believe that God is love and that he wants us to live by this love as an example to the people. That is my goal. That is why I became a priest!”
