Claude Richard
Benedictine priest, martyr on the prison ships off Rochefort
Who they were
A Benedictine priest, born on 19 May 1741. Driven from the monastery of Metz during the French Revolution because of his priesthood, he was put on a ship used as a prison off Rochefort, where he caught the infection while nursing the sick prisoners and died on 9 August 1794. He was beatified on 1 October 1995 by John Paul II, among Jean-Baptiste Souzy and sixty-three companions who died on the prison ships off Rochefort.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology names him among the martyrs who died on the prison ships off Rochefort.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Jean-Baptiste Souzy Blessed“He was beatified on 1 October 1995 by John Paul II, among Jean-Baptiste Souzy and sixty-three companions who died on the prison ships off Rochefort.” — this site's research
- Roman Martyrology, 9 August (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis 88 (1996) - beatification letter
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis 87 (1995) - decree on the martyrdom
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.