Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Saint Richard of Chichester was born in 1197 near Burford by Wyche (today Droitwich, Worcestershire) in England, into a gentry family that soon fell into hardship. Orphaned young, he renounced inheritance and an advantageous marriage, choosing instead a life of study and service to the Church. Educated at Oxford and later in Paris and Bologna, he became a skilled canon lawyer and was elected chancellor of Oxford. Richard served closely with Saint Edmund of Abingdon, sharing his zeal for clerical reform and fidelity to the Church even when it brought conflict with royal power. Elected Bishop of Chichester in 1244, he endured opposition from King Henry III, living in poverty and traveling his diocese on foot until his rights were restored. As bishop he was known for austerity, personal holiness, and firm discipline of corrupt practices, while strengthening reverent worship and supporting the preaching mission of the Dominicans. He died at Dover on 3 April 1253 while preparing to preach a crusade, and was later canonized. He is patron of Sussex and is honored by institutions such as St Richard’s Catholic College. His feast day is April 3.

Saint Sixtus I was born in Rome to a family of Greek descent, and in the early second century he was chosen to serve as Bishop of Rome, succeeding Pope Alexander I. His pontificate, traditionally placed around 117–126 (though some sources extend it a few years later), unfolded during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, a time when the young Church sought steady leadership and faithful order. Remembered as a gentle guardian of apostolic tradition, Sixtus is associated with important liturgical and pastoral customs. Ancient tradition credits him with safeguarding reverence for the sacred vessels, strengthening communion between local churches and the Holy See through apostolic letters, and encouraging the people’s participation in the Mass by reciting the Sanctus together after the Preface. After his death, he was venerated as a saint, with traditions linking his burial to the area near Saint Peter’s tomb, and relics honored in places such as Alife. He is invoked as a patron of Alatri, Alife, and Colognola. His feast day is celebrated on April 3.