Saints.SQPN.com

Also known as

• Richard de Wych
• Richard Backedine
• Richard of Wich

Memorial

• 3 April
• 16 June (Anglican Communion)

Profile

Second son of Richard and Alice de Wych. His father died when the boy was young. The family fell upon hard times, but as soon as he became old enough, Richard took over management of their estates and brought them back to profit. Educated at Oxford, Paris and Bologna. Chancellor of Oxford University. Legal advisor to Saint Edmund Rich and Saint Boniface of Savoy, the Archbishops of Canterbury. Priest. Bishop of Chichester. Miracles and cures occured at his shrine in Chichester. His patronage of coachmen began with the Milanese Guild of Coachmen, possibly because Richard drove carts and wagons on the family farm.

Born

• c.1197 at Droitwich, Worcestershire, England as Richard de Wych

Died

• 3 April 1253 at Dover, Kent, England

Canonized

• 1262 by Pope Urban IV at Viterbo, Papal States (part of modern Italy)

Patronage

• Chichester, England, diocese of
• coachmen

Representation

• bishop with a chalice on its side at his feet because he once dropped the chalice during a Mass and nothing spilled from it
• kneeling with the chalice before him
• ploughing his brother’s fields
• a bishop blessing his flock with a chalice nearby

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Dom Richard Oliver’s personal page devoted to his patron
• For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson
• Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society
• Wikipedia

Readings

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ For all the benefits Thou hast given me, For all the pains and insults Which Thou has borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May I know Thee more clearly, Love Thee more dearly, Follow Thee more nearly, Day by day. Amen.” - prayer by Saint Richard