Nicholas of Flüe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintNicholas of Flüe |
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Nicholas of Flüe, from the altar piece of the local parish church in Sachseln.
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| Brother Klaus | |
| Born | 1417 Unterwalden, Switzerland |
| Died | 21 March 1487 Sachseln, Switzerland |
| Venerated in | Catholicism |
| Beatified | 1669 |
| Canonized | 1947 by Pope Pius XII |
| Major shrine | Sachseln, Switzerland |
| Feast | 21 March (25 September in Switzerland and Germany) |
| Patronage | Switzerland, Pontifical Swiss Guards |
Nicholas of Flüe (German: Niklaus von Flüe; 1417 – 21 March 1487) was a Swiss hermit and a very spiritual person. He is known as the patron saint of Switzerland. People sometimes call him Brother Klaus.
Nicholas was a farmer, a military leader, a judge, and a wise advisor. He was respected for being a very honest and good person. He is famous for fasting (not eating) for more than twenty years. Brother Klaus's advice helped stop a war between the Swiss regions in 1481.
Contents
Early Life
Nicholas was born in 1417 in a village called Flüeli, near Sachseln, in Switzerland. He was the oldest son of a wealthy farming family. His family name, von Flüe, came from a rock formation.
When he was about 21, Nicholas joined the army. He fought bravely in the Old Zürich War in 1446. He also fought again in 1460 in the Thurgau war. Thanks to Nicholas, a group of nuns was saved from being harmed during the war.
He served in the military until he was 37 years old, becoming a captain. People said he fought with a sword in one hand and a rosary (a string of beads used for prayer) in the other. After leaving the army, he became a councillor for his region. Then, for nine years, he worked as a judge. He even turned down the chance to become the governor of his region.
A Spiritual Guide
Nicholas had a special vision of a lily being eaten by a horse. He understood this to mean that his busy worldly life (the horse) was taking over his spiritual life (the lily, a symbol of purity). Because of this, he decided to focus completely on a life of prayer and quiet thought.
In 1467, with his wife's permission, he left his wife and ten children. He gave up all his political jobs. He wanted to join a spiritual group, but other visions told him to return closer to home. He became a hermit in a quiet valley called Ranft, near his old home.
He built a small chapel and paid for a priest so he could attend Mass every day. After arriving in Ranft, he began to fast. He claimed he received enough nourishment just by being at Mass and receiving the Host.
Nicholas continued to have spiritual visions. He became a wise spiritual guide, and many people sought his advice. Important people and church leaders from all over Europe came to him. In 1470, the Pope made his hermitage a special pilgrimage site.
His most famous act was preventing a civil war in Switzerland. In 1481, the different Swiss regions were arguing and close to fighting. Nicholas gave them advice that helped them find a compromise and avoid war. Even though he couldn't read or write, he is honored for helping keep Switzerland united. He died on March 21, 1487, surrounded by his wife and children.
Becoming a Saint
During his lifetime, many pilgrims visited Nicholas at Ranft. After he died in 1487, many people attended his funeral. He was buried in a chapel in Sachseln, which became a popular place for pilgrims.
Nicholas was declared "blessed" (beatified) in 1669. After this, the town of Sachseln built a church in his honor, where his body was placed. During World War II, many Swiss people looked to him for spiritual guidance. In 1941, Swiss bishops promised to go on a pilgrimage to his shrine if the country was spared from the war.
He was officially made a saint (canonized) in 1947 by Pope Pius XII. His special day in the Catholic Church is March 21st. However, in Switzerland and Germany, it is celebrated on September 25th. In 1984, Pope John Paul II visited Flüeli Ranft and prayed at Nicholas's tomb.
Brother Klaus is seen as a great example for men who care about their communities and the land. He is the patron saint of the Catholic Rural Communities Movement in Germany.
His Visions and Symbols
Nicholas had many spiritual visions. One important vision is often shown as a mystical wheel. He described seeing a Holy Face in the center of a circle. Three sword tips touched the eyes and mouth, while three others pointed outwards.
A special cloth, called the meditation prayer cloth, shows this symbol. It connects the symbol to six important moments in the life of Jesus:
- The mouth of God at the Annunciation (when Mary was told she would have Jesus).
- The eyes seeing Creation and its redemption (saving from sin).
- The betrayal by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- The good news of Jesus' birth ("Glory to God in the Highest").
- The Last Supper, where Jesus said, "This is my body."
These six parts of the symbol also include other signs of Christian kindness:
- Two crutches: helping the sick.
- A walking stick and pouch: welcoming strangers.
- Bread, fish, and drinks: feeding the hungry and quenching thirst.
- Chains: caring for those in prison.
- Clothes: clothing the naked.
- A coffin: burying the dead.
These symbols helped people, especially those who couldn't read, understand God's love and their duty to help others. Nicholas also described a vision of a spring flowing from a Tabernacle, covering the earth. This vision reminds us of God's grace flowing from Jesus.
Personal Life
In 1445 or 1446, when he was about 29, Nicholas married Dorothea Wyss. She was a farmer's daughter and was fourteen years old. They built a house together, and their first son, Hans, was born the next year.
After he became a hermit, Nicholas said he did not feel tempted to return to his old life with his wife and children.
Images for kids
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A plate from the Amtliche Luzerner Chronik of 1513 of Diebold Schilling the Younger, illustrating the events of the Tagsatzung at Stans in 1481. Top: A priest named Heini am Grund visits Niklaus von Flüe to ask him for his advice to save the failing Tagsatzung at Stans, where the delegates of the rural and urban cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy could not agree and threatened civil war. Bottom: Am Grund returned to the Tagsatzung and related Niklaus' advice, whereupon the delegates compromised. Am Grund is shown holding back a bailiff who wants to go and spread the good news already: Niklaus' advice remains secret to this day.
See also
In Spanish: Nicolás de Flüe para niños
