St. Richard Catholic Community

The Story of Saint Richard of Chichester

1197-1253

St. Richard, also known as Richard de Wyche, or Richard of Burford, and more accurately referred to as St. Richard of Chichester, England, was born in 1197 in Wyche- now called Droitwich, Worcestershire, England. He was Bishop of Chichester from 1245 to 1253. Richard was a man of strong character, a scholar, but sensible and practical as well, energetic, kind, modest about his own powers, cheerful and courageous. He loved people and was greatly beloved by them

Richard was orphaned at an early age. His inheritance, his family's estate, was managed poorly until he came of age and took over the responsibility. Richard left his studies with the Benedictines at Worcester and came home to help restore the family fortunes. Gradually things got better; the farm was saved and returned to prosperity. Because his older brother Robert recognized that Richard was the more capable of the two, he offered to make over to him the inheritance, but neither this, nor the chance of marrying a rich and charming lady, could keep Richard from his books. Turning his back on the land, at last he set off for Oxford to resume his neglected studies.

He studied at Oxford University. When Richard arrived, about 1214, the colleges were still some years away; the first one, Merton, was not founded until 1262/64. Students enrolled with a Master, who rented his own hall for lectures and let out accommodations. Richard was poor and often cold and hungry. He shared one warm tunic and hooded gown with two friends, ran about to get warm in winter, and often ate only bread and thing vegetable soup. Despite the hardships of life, though, he said later that never in his life had he been so happy or felt such joy and peace of soul as during those years as a student at Oxford. He learned a Master's degree in canon law there, and went to Bologna, where he received his doctorate in canon law.

Richard continued his studies at Paris and Bologna. When his mentor and friend, Edmund Rich of Abingdon became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1235, Richard was made Chancellor of Oxford University. After Edmund died in 1240, Richard determined to become a priest. He studied theology with the Dominicans at Orleans. After two years he was ordained by the Bishop and returned to England as a parish priest in Kent.

When the archbishop retired, Richard accompanied him to the Cistercian monastery at Pontigny, France. Following Rich's death at Pontigny, Richard taught at the Dominican house of studies at Orleans. In 1243 he was ordained there.
Fr. Richard spent a short time as a parish priest, then returned to his former duties as Chancellor to the Archbishop of Canterbury, this time under Boniface of Savoy.

In 1244 the Bishop of Chichester died; controversy brewed in England when King Henry III named Ralph Neville as bishop of Chichester. Boniface declared King Henry's selection invalid and named Richard to the See. When King Henry III heard of Richard's election, he was furious and refused to give up the property and revenues of the See. The matter was taken to Rome and in 1245 Pope Innocent IV ruled in Richard's favor and consecrated him. And so it was, two years after being ordained a priest, Fr. Richard became a bishop. For several years, however, "like a stranger in a strange land," Richard became a wanderer in his own diocese. He was entirely dependent on the charity and hospitality of the people and clergy, who defied the King.

At last, in 1247, the King relented and, amid the rejoicing of the people, Richard came to his cathedral at Chichester. Richard's personal life was very simple, but he considered it his duty to keep the state proper to a bishop, and particularly to offer hospitality to rich and poor. Sometimes he was imposed upon, but the people loved him not only for his almsgiving but for his caring, his preaching, and the sweetness of his character. Richard was an able administrator as well as a holy man and expected high standards from the clergy, although he defended their rights.

Richard spent the remaining eight years of his life ministering to his flock. He denounced nepotism, insisted on strict clerical discipline and was generous to the poor and needy. He died at a house for poor priests in Dover, England, in 1253, while preaching a crusade. With friends Simon of Taring, William his Chaplain and Friar Ralph Bocking by his bedside, and surrounded by a crowd of priests, religious and laymen, Richard de la Wyche, Bishop of Chichester, dies at midnight on April 3, 1253. He was 56 years old.

Miracles were reported of St. Richard even in his lifetime, or miraculous interpretations were given to events. He is often shown with a chalice at his feet. Legend says that once when he was celebrating Mass he dropped the chalice but no win was spilled; that incident accounts for the chalice depicted in the statue of St. Richard at our church entrance.

Another miraculous story is told of a student at Oxford who had a pet blackbird, which was a fine singer and gave its master much joy. He refused to give it to a companion who coveted it; in rage the companion cut out the bird's tongue when the student was away. Returning, the young man found the poor bird drooping and songless. Sorrowing for his pet, he prayed to St. Richard, who had so enjoyed the singing of birds and had been the Chancellor of the University. Immediately the bird perked up and began to sing.

Richard was canonized by Pope Urban IV at Viterbo, January 28, 1262. Until it was destroyed in 1538, his shrine behind the high altar attracted almost as many pilgrims as St. Thomas' shrine at Canterbury. The bones of the saint were probably thrown away and the Crown confiscated the treasures. In recent times the sire of the shrine has increasingly been renewed as a center of devotion.


Richard continues to be honored at his birthplace in Droitwich. On his festival day, April 3, the local people deck the brine pit, known as St. Richard's Well, with flowers and branches. Richard was adopted as patron saint of the Guild of Coachmen of Milan. Chichester is today still the seat of a bishop (Church of England) and a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.