Churches in Worthing are getting ready to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the death of Saint Richard.

St Richard, a former Chichester diocesan bishop who helped the poor, will be remembered throughout Sussex with a series of events.

The celebrations start at Dover, where St Richard was on a recruitment campaign for the crusades when he fell ill and died on April 3, 1253.

An icon has been made showing St Richard with Jesus and this will be transported from Dover, through Worthing, to Chichester at the end of May.

The icon was commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of Chichester from the distinguished Russian iconpainter Sergei Fyodorov, whose work can be seen at Westminster Abbey and Winchester and Rochester Cathedrals.

There is also a banner, designed by Bernard Charles and made by the Seffrid Guild, embroiderers to Chichester Cathedral.

On Wednesday, May 28, the icon will be collected from Storrington Deanery and taken to Lancing for events at Coombes Church and Lancing Chapel, followed by a service at St James's Church, Lancing, in the evening.

After resting overnight at Worthing Hospital chapel, it will be taken to Broadwater Church on Thursday, May 29 (Ascension Day), and later that morning to Findon Valley Church, where there will be children's events, with a Eucharist at noon, followed by a deanery picnic.

In the evening there is Ascension worship at Christ the King, Worthing, before the icon is removed to St John the Divine Church, West Worthing.

On Friday, May 30, a Eucharist will be held at St Botolph's Church, Heene, after which the icon will be transported to St Barnabas Hospice in West Durrington for 2pm.

It then goes on to St Andrew's Church, Tarring, the village where St Richard spent two years, followed by a Deanery Songs of Praise on the green outside St Richard's Church in Maybridge and on to St Mary's Church in Goring.

On Saturday, May 31, the icon will be collected from St Mary's and taken to St Andrew's Church in Ferring.

Events come to a climax in Chichester, where there will be a celebration of the Eucharist on June 14, followed by a mass conducted by Kieran Conry, the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, on June 16.

A new book about St Richard, written by the Reverend Canon Michael Gudgeon, is now available at a cost of £3.