Franz Pfanner
Franz Pfanner ( born September 21, 1825 Langen near Bregenz, † May 24 1909 in Emaus, South Africa) was a Trappist priest, abbot and missionary.
Life
Wendelin Pfanner was after the completion of theological studies ordained a priest in 1850. Initially he worked as a pastor in hazel groves. In 1863 he joined the Abbey Mariawald. A year later, he passed the profession, took the religious name Franz and a few weeks later was appointed sub-prior. In 1865 he took the post master of novices.
On July 23, 1867 Pfanner was sent to found a new monastery in Austria. This establishment attempt failed. Then Pfanner wanted to try a new foundation in today's Croatia, but was prevented by a letter from the abbot of the abbey Oelenberg, the mother monastery of the Abbey Mariawald, at that. Pfanner then went to Rome. There he asked Pope Pius IX. , The Tre Fontane Abbey rebuild. After Pfanner this contract had been fulfilled, it came to pass in today's Bosnia, there to try a monastic foundation. In the spring of 1869 he began in Banja Luka with the founding of the monastery Maria Stern. In 1872, he became its Prior 1879 broke Pfanner - called by Bishop James Ricard - to Natal (South Africa ) to there to try a monastery foundation. 1880 Pfanner met there with 31 other brothers and founded the first branch Dunbrody, but failed because of poor weather conditions and a quarrel with Bishop Ricard. Then pulled the Trappists in 1882 and further established the monastery of Mariannhill, the first abbot, he was in 1885. In addition, Pfanner founded in the same year the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.
Mariannhill Monastery became a mission station. As the missionary activity with the contemplative Trappistenleben was not compatible, the monastery of Mariannhill in 1909 by Pope Pius X was separated from the Trappists and elevated to the Mother House of the Missionaries of Mariannhill. Pfanner was after one year suspension due to a visitation of Mariannhill 1892, the office of the abbot, and lived until his death on 24 May 1909 as a hermit on the mission station Emaus.