Saint for the Month of March

Nicholas von Flue March 21

Nicholas von Flue had been born on a rich plain known as the Flueli, close  by Sachseln in Unterwalden. He was a successful farmer and did military service in the war with Zurich  and fought again for his canton as a captain fourteen years later. He married a religious woman Dorothea Wissling, who bore him ten children.

Nicholas retired to live as a hermit, for nineteen years he would pray and  meditate for over half the night and day, reserving the afternoon for  countless men and women who sought for his counselling. In 1491AD the Swiss confederate was on the verge of breaking up. The member  states had defeated most of their enemies in battle. but they could not  agree on how to divide the spoils.

They were quarrelling too over whether or not to include Fribourg and  Soleure in the Federation. Counsel was sought from Nicholas von Frue the sixty four year old hermit who  lived in a tiny cell along side a chapel in the village of Ranft.Though he could neither read or write he came to be regarded as the wisest person in Switzerland. On the saints advice the delegates of the contending parties
hammered out the famous Compromise of Stans,which saved the peace and unity of the land,

NB my research was unable to find the dates of his birth and death.

Richard.F.Sibley

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