MISEREOR Bishop Werner Thissen, Archbishop of Hamburg, says that what he most admires about Spiegel is his spiritual depth, his closeness to the poor, and the fact that he is equally at home in the Universal Church and the Church in Germany. 'Prelate Sayer has set standards during his many years of service as Director General. I have no doubt that his successor will continue this successful work,' says Thissen. Fr Spiegel was born in Großfischlingen in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate in 1957. From 1990 to 2003 and again from August 2010, he worked as a missionary in Brazil.
Mons. Werner Thissen, responsable de la Comisión episcopal encargada de MISEREOR y Arzobispo de Hamburgo estima sobre todo la competencia espiritual de Pirmin Spiegel, su cercanía a los pobres y el hecho de que se sienta "en casa" tanto en la Iglesia Universal como en la Iglesia de Alemania. Durante su trabajo de tantos años en MISEREOR, Mons. Sayer ha sentado precedentes.