The last week in the life of Brother Klaus is very hard. A severe illness attacks his whole body and plagues him day and night. Heinrich Wölflin writes: «He suffers the wretched agonies patiently for eight days, then asks for the last sacraments. He lies, as usual, stretched out on the bare floor. Then on March 21st 1487, at the age of 70, and after great suffering he draws his last breath.» His body is brought to Sachseln and buried in the Parish Church, according to the instructions of the Bishop of Constance. This honour was normally kept for priests and distinguished people only.
As Dorothee goes to his grave a messenger tells her how he saw her husband, in full splendour, standing on the Flüeli rock with a flag in his hand – the flag with a bear’s claw on it, the sign of victory. From 1488 signs and miracles that have occurred at Brother Klaus’ grave have been noted in the Church Book in Sachseln. More and more pilgrims from all over Europe come to visit Brother Klaus’ grave and the places where he lived. Brother Klaus is dead but he lives on in the hearts of the people.
It took the church a long time to acknowledge Brother Klaus as a Saint. Pope Innozenz X beatifies him in 1649 and 20 years later Pope Clemens IX allows his liturgical veneration. The people of Obwalden are overjoyed and build a bigger church to honour their country-man. In 1679 Brother Klaus’ grave is brought into the new church. Then finally in 1947 Niklaus von Flüe is canonised by Pope Pius XII. After two terrible world wars people long for peace. Brother Klaus is a Saint of Peace. He knows the original source of peace and the way to find peace. His whole life is an example of
peace for us, a sign of peace in our peaceless times.