Adalbert Ludwig Balling 
The Apostle of South Africa 

The Monastery of Mariannhill was governed by a man who combined German genius for leadership and German energy with a powerful and deep religious idealism. Dom Franz Pfanner looked like an Old Testament prophet. The eyes that burned in that long, aquiline countenance flamed like the eyes of a visionary, and the sensitive lips that quivered in that prophetic beard were ready to command no one knew what Crusades. (THOMAS MERTON about Abbot Francis Pfanner in The Waters of Siloe) – This book captivated me more with every page. Pfanner is filled with holy zeal for his »mission«. He is endowed with sheer inexhaustible energy and a marvellously open mind for innovations that was rare at the time. With his mosaic-style portrait the author strikes the core of this Apostle of South Africa. Many thanks for this enriching, interesting and exciting reading. It acquainted me with a fascinating personality. (REINHART URBAN, Director of Studies)