Richard of Chichester (1197 – 3 April 1253), also known as Richard de Wych, is a

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

(

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...

1262) who was Bishop of Chichester. In

Chichester Cathedral Chichester Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in West Sussex, England. It was founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of th ...

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

dedicated to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

. In 1538, during the reign of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, the shrine was plundered and destroyed by order of

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

. Richard of Chichester is the patron saint of

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

in southern England; since 2007, his translated saint's day of 16 June has been celebrated as Sussex Day.

Life

Saint Richard was born near Burford, near the town of Wyche (modern Droitwich,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

) and was an orphan member of a gentry family.Greenway. Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: volume 5: pp. 1-6. On the death of their parents Richard's elder brother was heir to the estates but he was not old enough to inherit, so the lands were subject to a feudal wardship. On coming of age his brother took possession of his lands, but was required to pay a medieval form of death duty that left the family so impoverished that Richard had to work for him on the farm.Lower. The Worthies of Sussex. p. 242 His brother also made Richard heir to the estate. According to Richard's biographers, friends tried to arrange a match with a ''certain noble lady''. However Richard rejected the proposed match, suggesting that his brother might marry her instead; he also reconveyed the estates back to his brother, preferring a life of study and the Church.Lower. The Worthies of Sussex. pp. 242-243 Educated at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, Richard soon began to teach in the university. From there he proceeded to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and then

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

, where he distinguished himself by his proficiency in canon law. On returning to England in 1235, Richard was elected Oxford's chancellor.Stephens. Memorials. pp. 84 - 85. His former tutor, Edmund of Abingdon, had become

archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

.Farmer. Richard of Chichester ''in'' Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Available Onlin
Retrieved 12 March 2011
Richard shared Edmund's ideals of clerical reform and supported papal rights even against the king. In 1237, Archbishop Edmund appointed Richard chancellor of the

diocese of Canterbury The Diocese of Canterbury is a Church of England diocese covering East Kent, eastern Kent which was founded by St Augustine of Canterbury in 597. The diocese is centred on Canterbury Cathedral and is the oldest episcopal see, see of the Chur ...

. Richard joined the archbishop during his exile at Pontigny, and was with him when the archbishop died circa 1240. Richard then decided to become a priest and studied theology for two years with the Dominicans at

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Upon returning to England, Richard became the parish priest at Charing and at Deal, but soon was reappointed chancellor of Canterbury by the new archbishop Boniface of Savoy. In 1244 saint Richard was elected Bishop of Chichester. Henry III and part of the chapter refused to accept him, the king favouring the candidature of Robert Passelewe (d. 1252). Archbishop Boniface refused to confirm Passelew, so both sides appealed to the pope. The king confiscated the see's properties and revenues, but

Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

confirmed Richard's election and consecrated him bishop at Lyons in March 1245.Fryde ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 239 Richard then returned to Chichester, but the king refused to restore the see's properties for two years, and then did so only after being threatened with

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...

. Henry III forbade anyone to house or feed Richard. At first, Richard lived at Tarring in the house of his friend Simon, the parish priest of Tarring, visited his entire diocese on foot, and cultivated figs in his spare time. Richard's private life was said to have displayed rigid frugality and temperance. Richard was an ascetic who wore a hair-shirt and refused to eat off silver. He kept his diet simple and rigorously excluded animal flesh; having been a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

since his days at Oxford. Richard furnished the chronicler,

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris (; 1200 – 1259), was an English people, English Benedictine monk, English historians in the Middle Ages, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts, and cartographer who was based at St A ...

, with material for the life of St. Edmund Rich, and instituted the offerings for the cathedral at Chichester which were known later as "St. Richard's pence". Richard was merciless to usurers, corrupt clergy and priests who mumbled the Mass. He was also a stickler for clerical privilege. Richard's

episcopate A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

was marked by the favour which he showed to the

Dominicans Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...

, a house of this order at Orléans having sheltered him during his stay in France, and by his earnestness in preaching a

crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

. After dedicating St Edmund's Chapel at

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

, he died aged 56 at the

Maison Dieu, Dover The Hospital of St Mary, Domus Dei, or Maison Dieu (Latin/Norman French – house of God), is a medieval building in Dover, England which forms the oldest part of Dover Town Hall. The Town Hall and remains of mediaeval Maison Dieu were Grade II ...

at midnight on 3 April 1253, where the Pope had ordered him to preach a crusade. His internal organs were removed and placed in that chapel's altar. Richard's body was then carried to Chichester and buried, according to his wishes, in the chapel on the north side of the nave, dedicated to his patron St. Edmund.Atkinson. Chichester Cathedral: The Shrine of St Richard (Retroquire). pp.16-18 His remains were translated to a new shrine in 1276.

Episcopal statutes

After the full rights of the see and its revenues were returned to him in 1246, the new bishop showed much eagerness to reform the manners and morals of his clergy, and also to introduce greater order and reverence into the services of the Church.Stephens. Memorials of The See at Chichester pp.87-93 Richard overruled Henry on several occasions. Richard defrocked a priest who had seduced a nun out of her convent, turning aside a petition from the king in the priest's favour.Lower. The Worthies of Sussex. p. 244 Richard was militant in protecting the clergy from abuse. When townsmen of

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...

violated the right of

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

by seizing a criminal in church and

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of i ...

him, Richard made them exhume the body and give it a proper burial in consecrated ground. He also imposed severe penance on

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

s who attacked priests. Richard produced a body of statutes with the aid of his chapter, for the organisation of the church in his diocese and the expected conduct of its clergy. It seems that many of the clergy still secretly married, though such alliances were not recognised by canon law, and as such their women's status was that of a mistress or concubine. The bishop endeavoured to suppress the practice in his diocese with relentless austerity. By Richard's statutes he following is a close paraphrase not an exact quote

It was decreed that married clergy should be deprived of their
benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
s; their concubines were to be denied the privileges of the church during their lives and also after death; they were pronounced incapable of inheriting any property from their husbands, and any such bequests would be donated for the upkeep of the cathedral. A vow of chastity was to be required of candidates for ordination. Rectors were expected to reside in their parishes, to be hospitable and charitable. Tithes were to be paid on all annual crops. Anyone who did not pay their tithe would not be granted penance until they did.
Vicars were to be priests and have only one freehold to live on. They were not allowed to have another parish held under an assumed name.

Deacons A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Catholi ...
were not to be allowed to hear confessions or to provide penances, or to baptise except in the absence of a priest. Children had to be confirmed within a year of baptism. The
Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". "Its title is first found c.390 (Ep. 42.5 of Ambro ...
and the
Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manusc ...
were to be learned in the mother tongue; priests were to celebrate mass in clean robes, to use a silver or golden
chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...
; thoroughly clean corporals and at least two consecrated palls were to be placed on the altar; the cross was to be planted in front of the celebrant; the bread was to be of the purest wheaten flour, the wine mixed with water. The elements were not to be kept more than seven days; when carried to a sick person to be enclosed in a pyx, and the priest to be preceded by a cross; a candle, holy water and bell.
Practices such as gambling at baptisms and marriages was strictly forbidden.

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...
s were to administer justice for their proper fees, not demanding more for either rushing or delaying the business. They were to visit the churches regularly, to see that the services were duly ministered, the vessels and vestments were in proper order, the canon of the mass correctly observed and distinctly read, as also the ''hours''. Priests who clipped or slurred the words by rushing were to be suspended.
The clergy should wear their proper dress and not imitate what lay people wore. They were not allowed to wear their hair long or have romantic entanglements. The names of excommunicated persons to be read out four times a year in the parish churches.
A copy of these statutes was to be kept by every priest in the diocese and be brought by him to the episcopal synod.

Shrine

Tapestry in Chichester Cathedral - geograph

It was generally believed that miracles were wrought at Richard's tomb in Chichester cathedral, which was long a popular place of pilgrimage, and in 1262, just 9 years after his death, he was canonized at

Viterbo Viterbo (; Central Italian, Viterbese: ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Lazio region of Italy, the Capital city, capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in ...

by Pope Urban IV.* Richard's feast day is on 3 April in the West, but because this date generally falls within Lent or Eastertide this is normally translated to 16 June in some provinces of the Anglican Communion (the Anglican Church of Canada, for example, commemorates Richard on 3 April), which venerates St. Richard more widely than does the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, Richard is remembered in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

with a Lesser Festival on 16 June. The first

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

bishop of Chichester was

Richard Sampson Richard Sampson (died 25 September 1554) was an English clergyman and composer of sacred music. He was an Anglican bishop of Chichester, and subsequently of Coventry and Lichfield. Biography He was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, the Paris ...

, during the reign of King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. Through his Vicar-General,

, the king ordered the destruction of Richard's shrine in

Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...

cathedral in 1538.Tatton-Brown.Chichester Cathedral: Destruction, Repair and Restoration ''in'' Mary Hobbs. Chichester Cathedral: An Historic Survey. p.143. The shrine was demolished on Friday 20 November and all the silver, gold and jewels were ordered by Henty VIII to be taken to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

Forasmuch as we have lately been informed that in our cathedral church of Chichester there hath been used long heretofore, and yet at this day is used, much superstition and a certain kind of idolatry about the shrine and bones of a certain bishop of the same, whom they call Saint Richard, and a certain resort there of common people, which being men of simplicity are seduced by the instigation of some of the clergy, who take advantage of their credulity to ascribe miracles of healing and other virtues to the said bones, that God only hath authority to grant. . . . . We have appointed you, with all convenient diligence to repair unto the said cathedral church, and to take away the shrine and bones of that bishop called Saint Richard, with all ornaments to the said shrine belonging, and all other the reliques and reliquaries, the silver, the gold, and all the jewels belonging to said shrine, and that not only shall you see them to be safely and surely conveyed unto our Tower of London there to be bestowed and placed at your arrival, but also ye shall see both the place where the shrine was kept, destroyed even to the ground and all such other images of the said church, where about any notable superstition is used, to be carried and conveyed away, so that our subjects shall by them in no ways be deceived hereafter, but that they pay to Almighty God and to no earthly creature such honour as is due unto him the Creator. . . . . Given under our privy seal at our manor of Hampton Court, the 14th day of Dec., in the 30th year of our reign (1538).
''Document issued by Thomas Cromwell on behalf of Henry VIII.''Lower. Worthies of Sussex. pp. 249-250

The Shrine of St. Richard had, up to this point, enjoyed a level of popularity approaching that accorded to

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

at Canterbury. The document ordering the destruction of the shrine was issued to a Sir William Goring of Burton and a William Ernley.John Fines. Cathedral and Reformation ''in'' Hobbs. Chichester Cathedral. pp. 61-62 They received £40 for carrying out the commission on 20 December 1538. One of the royal commissioners for the destruction of St. Richard's Shrine, William Ernley, was associated with the parish of West Wittering in Sussex. Someone from there, it seems, may have spirited away the relics and bones of St. Richard and hidden them in their own parish church. It is here that local tradition holds remains of the saint are to be found:

The Lady Chapel not only contains the Saxon Cross but also an ancient broken marble slab engraved with a Bishop's pastoral staff and a Greek cross believed to have come from a reliquary containing the relics of St. Richard of Chichester, a 13th century bishop who often visited West Wittering. Part of his story is shown in the beautiful red, white and gold altar frontal presented by Yvonne Rusbridge in 1976. On the left St Richard is shown feeding the hungry in Cakeham and on the right leading his followers from the church, his candle miraculously alight despite the gust of wind which blew out all the other candles.
Extract from the description of the parish church of St Peter and St Paul, West Wittering.

The modern St Richard's Shrine is located in the retro-quire of Chichester cathedral and was re-established in 1930 by Dean Duncan Jones.Foster. Richard of Chichester. p. 65 In 1987 during the restoration of the Abbey of La Lucerne, in Normandy, the lower part of a man's arm was discovered in a reliquary. The relic was thought to be Richard's.Mary Foster. The relic ''in'' Paul Fosters. Richard of Chichester. pp. 70-73 After examination, to establish its provenance, the relic was offered to Bishop Eric Kemp and received into the cathedral on 15 June 1990. The relic was buried in 1991 below the St Richard altar. A further relic, together with an authentication certificate, was offered from Rome at the same time and is now housed at the bishop's chapel in Chichester. The modern shrine of Richard contains an altar that was designed by Robert Potter, a tapestry designed by Ursula Benker-Schirmer (partly woven in her studio in Bavaria and partly at the West Dean College) and an icon designed by Sergei Fyodorov that shows St Richard in episcopal vestments, his hand raised in blessing towards the viewer, but also in supplication to the figure of Christ who appears to him from heaven.

Prayer

Richard is widely remembered today for the popular

prayer File:Prayers-collage.png, 300px, alt=Collage of various religionists praying – Clickable Image, Collage of various religionists praying ''(Clickable image – use cursor to identify.)'' rect 0 0 1000 1000 Shinto festivalgoer praying in front ...

ascribed to him:

''Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ''
''For all the benefits Thou hast given me,''
''For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me.''
''O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,''
''May I know Thee more clearly,''
''Love Thee more dearly,''
''Follow Thee more nearly.''Bullock-Webster. p.3
''Acts and Devotion''. Prayer 48.
Retrieved 18 June 2013

Richard is supposed to have recited the prayer on his deathbed, surrounded by the clergy of the diocese.Mike Stone. The St Richard Prayer ''in'' Fosters. Richard of Chichester (1197–1253) pp.78-83 The words were transcribed, in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, by his confessor Ralph Bocking, a Dominican friar, and were eventually published in the ''

Acta Sanctorum ''Acta Sanctorum'' (''Acts of the Saints'') is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, organised by the saints' feast days. The project was conceived and ...

'', an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints. The

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

copy, contains what is believed to be Bocking's transcription of the prayer:

''Gratias tibi ago, Domine Jesu Christe, de omnibus beneficiis quae mihi praestitisti;''
''pro poenis et opprobriis, quae pro me pertulisti;''
''propter quae planctus ille lamentabilis vere tibi competebat.''
''Non est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.''Acta Sanctorum. Vol 10.
Tertia Aprilis. p. 281. Caput III. 18. Retrieved 30 April 2012

Chichester Cathedral and St Richard - geograph

Whoever translated the Latin into English was obviously skilled in his craft as he managed to produce a rhyming triplet, namely ''"clearly, dearly, nearly"''. However, versions of St Richard's prayer, before the 20th century, did not contain the triplet and it is thought that the first version that did was published in ''"The Churchmans Prayer Manual"'' by G.R.Bullock-Webster in 1913. The first use of the rhyming triplet in a hymn was in the ''"Mirfield Mission Hymnbook"'' of 1922, and the first use of the phrase ''"Day by Day"'' was in the ''"Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition"'' published in 1931.Vaughan Williams.''Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition''. Hymn 399. Tune: ''Stonethwaite'' by Arthur Somervell The author who is credited with translating the prayer from the original ''Acta Sanctorum'' and bringing it to public notice, was

Cecil Headlam Cecil Headlam (19 September 1872 – 12 August 1934) was an English first-class cricketer active in 1895–1908, who played for Middlesex and Oxford University. He was born in Paddington; died in Charing. He was also a cricket historian. He ...

in 1898.Headlam. ''Prayers of Saints.'' pp.v - viii The following version in the ''"Prayers of Saints"'' is quite different from the one that is familiar today :

''THE DYING PRAYER OF S. RICHARD, ''
''Bishop of Chichester.''
''LORD JESU CHRIST, I thank Thee for ''
''all the blessings Thou hast given me, ''
''and for all the sufferings and shame Thou ''
''didst endure for me, on which account that ''
''pitiable cry of sorrow was Thine : " Behold and ''
''see, if there was any sorrow like unto My ''
''sorrow ! " Thou knowest, Lord, how willing ''
''I should be to bear insult, and pain, and death ''
''for Thee; therefore have mercy on me, for to ''
''Thee do I commend my spirit. Amen''Headlam. ''Prayers of Saints.'' pp.33 - 34

The prayer was adapted for the song " Day by Day" in the musical ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical in two acts with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set t ...

'' (1971), with music by

Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin (musical), Pippin'' (1972), and ...

. The words used, with a few embellishments, were based on the following from ''"Songs of Praise, Enlarged Edition"'':

''Day by day,''
''Dear Lord, of thee three things I pray:''
''To see thee more clearly,''
''Love thee more dearly,''
''Follow thee more nearly,''
''Day by Day.''

A portion of the prayer has been incorporated into the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church for use by the personal ordinariates established to bring the Anglican patrimony into the Church. Observance of the memorial of Saint Richard of Chichester on 16 June is inscribed in the calendar of Divine Worship: The Missal and the following

Collect The collect ( ) is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy. Collects come up in the liturgies of Catholic, Lutheran, or Anglican churches, among others. Etymology The word is first seen as Latin ''collēcta'' ...

is provided:

''MOST merciful Redeemer,''
''who gavest to thy Bishop Richard a love of learning,''
''a zeal for souls, and a devotion to the poor:''
''grant that, encouraged by his example,''
''and aided by his prayers,''
''we may know thee more clearly,''
''love thee more dearly,''
''and follow thee more nearly,''
''day by day;''
''who livest and reignest with the Father''
''in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God,''
''world without end. Amen.''

Current patronage, festivals and dedication

Richard is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of the county of

in England. Since 2007, his translated saint's day, 16 June, has been celebrated as Sussex Day. Richard is honoured with a

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA) on 3 April, which is also the date for his commemoration in the new Roman Martyrology of 2004 for the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican parish church of Peel Hall, Wythenshawe was built in 1969 and dedicated to St Richard of Chichester; the construction incorporated stones from a number of different cathedrals, including Chichester Cathedral.

Notes

References

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External links

Biography of St Richard of Chichester
from ''Catholic Online''

from ''Catholic Encyclopedia''

from ''The Lives of the Saints'' by

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiography, hagiographer. Born in Northamptonshire, he studied at the English College, in Douai, Douay, France where he later taught philosophy and theology. He s ...

St. Richard's RC Parish, ChichesterThe Parish Church of St Richard, Aldwick
in memory of St Richard, Bishop of Chichester 1244-1253
St. Richard's Catholic Parish, Creve Coeur, Missouri, USA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richard Of Chichester 1197 births 1253 deaths Bishops of Chichester People from Droitwich Spa Chancellors of the University of Oxford 13th-century English Roman Catholic bishops 13th-century Christian saints Medieval English saints Pre-Reformation Anglican saints English Roman Catholic saints 1190s births Anglican saints