The episode begins by introducing Saint Richard of Chichester, clarifying he is not King Richard but an Englishman with a Germanic name meaning 'King Strong'. It describes his early life as the son of a ruined châtelain, working on the family farm as a gentleman farmer. Richard pursued education at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna, leading to his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He advised successive bishops of Canterbury during conflicts with the king over episcopal authority. Against King Henry III's advice, Richard was named Bishop of Chichester in Sussex, prompting the king to retaliate by cutting off his livestock and forbidding him from the Episcopal Palace. Richard responded by living in a poor house, visiting his diocese on foot, and appealing to the pope to recover his goods for distribution to the poor. The king, threatened with excommunication, relented. During this period, Richard intervened to support the Dominican and Franciscan orders when bishops sought to restrict their preaching. In 1252, the king called on him to preach the Seventh Crusade. While traveling to Douvres to consecrate a church dedicated to St. Edmund, Richard fell ill, performed the consecration upon arrival, and died the next morning. His legacy includes Chichester Hospital bearing his name and his role as patron saint of Cochers and the guild of Cochers of Milan. The episode is part of a series on saints, hosted by Audiomeans and written by Bénédicte Draillard, with support from listener donations.
