Saint Richard of Chichester Medal Necklace – Patron Saint of Coachmen and Sussex

Saint Richard of Chichester, Patron Saint of Coachmen and Sussex

Richard was born around 1197 and studied at Oxford, Paris, and Bologna before becoming Bishop of Chichester in 1244, a post King Henry III tried to block, confiscating diocesan property and leaving Richard without income or housing for two years until the king backed down under threat of excommunication. He lived simply, wore a hair-shirt, and pushed through major reforms of clerical conduct in his diocese. He's remembered for a miracle in which he dropped the Communion chalice during Mass without spilling a drop, and for the prayer he composed on his deathbed, later adapted into the musical Godspell: "Day by day, day by day, / Oh dear Lord, three things I pray: / To see thee more clearly, / Love thee more dearly, / Follow thee more nearly, / Day by day." He was canonized just nine years after his death, in 1262.

A Gift For...

• Coachmen, drivers, and anyone who spends their working life behind the wheel
• Someone from Sussex or with English heritage
• A person facing opposition for doing the right thing
• Anyone drawn to a short, honest daily prayer over a long one
• A person who lives simply by choice, not necessity

A Confirmation Gift for Richard

Looking for a confirmation name tied to a prayer the candidate can actually memorize? Richard's "Day by Day" is three lines long and still holds up eight hundred years later.

The Saint Richard of Chichester Medal

The medal shows Richard haloed, in bishop's vestments and mitre, holding a crozier and an overturned chalice, referencing the miracle where he dropped it during Mass without spilling its contents. The natural gold or silver of the metal forms the illustration itself. Black ink is applied to the pendant surface and the metal shows through as the image. A shatterproof liquid glass coating seals the surface. The result has a depth and precision that printed medals don't achieve.

Personalization and Engraving

Reverse engraving available in Tangerine cursive, 2 lines, 20 characters max each. Well-suited pairings: a name with "Day by Day," or an ordination or licensing date paired with "See More Clearly."

Saint Richard's feast day is April 3rd. Nearly eight centuries later, his three-line deathbed prayer is still better known than almost anything else about him.