Chichester Pilgrimage - may 2015

In 1245 Pope Innocent IV forced the appointment of Richard de Wyche as Bishop of Chichester; he had been barred for several months by King Henry Ill. (It was not only Henry VIII that was difficult!)  Richard insisted upon strict adherence to discipline among the clergy, aided the poor, and fearlessly denounced the corruption and vices of the contemporary Church and the royal court. He died in 1253 and was canonised in 1262. One can only speculate as to why, over 600 years later, he was chosen as our patron.
 
In his Cathedral, a shrine dedicated to Richard became a richly decorated centre of pilgrimage. Although in 1538 the shrine was plundered and destroyed by order of Thomas Cromwell, since 1930 it has been restored by the Anglican authorities and includes a relic of the saint, donated by the Abbey La Lucerne in Normandy. After having been duly blessed by Father Mike, it was to this shrine that a baker's dozen of parishioners travelled, leaving Skelmersdale in the High School's minibus, just before 9.00. am. on Friday 29th May 2015. Our base for following days was The Premier Inn, near the city centre, which meant we were able to walk to all  places of interest. Our visit to the shrine was on the Saturday, where the head Verger, Howard Wadell met us and we prayed the saint's prayer, then we were given a wonderful guided tour of the cathedral, led by Edward, one of the volunteer guides; the visit concluded with Choral Evensong.
 
On Saturday morning we were shown round the Catholic church, by Father Paul, the parish priest. Built in 1958 and dedicated to St Richard it replaces an older church; its chief glories are modern stained glass and the Stations. The pilgrimage concluded with our attending Mass there on the Sunday


 
Of course we enjoyed the sights and shops of the city and had a wonderful meal together on the Saturday evening in The Ship, a city centre hotel.