The story that you have before your eyes is the story of a "man of God' who spent part of his life in these African lands, dedicated to do good by combining his missionry work with a deep life of prayer. His motto was "ORA ET LABORA." Ora: Pray, since no man can achieve anything great for God does not feed his life; Labora: work, that is a work which is the fruit of his contact with God, in prayer. The story of Abbot Francis Pfanner can help us to understand that life is given to us to work for the good of humankind, and to make it possible that all come nearer to one another, and be united to God, forming a great family. when one observes the work and struggle of Abbot Francis Pfanner, one easily compares him to the great prophet Zechariah, in whom the people recognised the greatness of a man of God: "We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you" (Zec. 8,23).