prie-dieu
A prie-dieu (prie-dieux; lang, pray [to] God) is a type of prayer desk primarily intended for private devotional use, but which may also be found in churches. A similar form of chair in domestic furniture is called "prie-dieu" by analogy. Sometimes, a prie-dieu will consist only of the sloped shelf for books without the kneeler. • Illustration — A fairly large, elaborately carved prie-dieu with a built-in altar that can be closed • Illustration — Prie-dieu facing the casket of the US President John F. Kennedy in the East Room of the White House in 1963.
prie-dieu
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- Field
- liturgical furniture
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wikidata · Q2491608 · wikipedia · Prie-dieu
In this article
History
The priests Robert Mohan and Gilbert Hartke are praying on two more to the right.
The prie-dieu appears not to have received its present name until the early 17th century. In that period in France, a small room or oratory was sometimes known by the same name. In the Middle Ages, the faithful attended the parish services standing. From the 16th century onwards, wooden benches or chairs were made available, according to an order fixed by the customary law, and rented from the farmer who was the successful bidder for the "chair farm" or from the churchwarden, the fixed prices (increased during solemn masses) being collected by the chairmaker.
Description and use
The design of this prayer stand varied in time, eventually settling as a small, ornamental wooden desk furnished with a thin, sloping shelf for books or hands, and a kneeler. Sometimes, instead of the sloping shelf, a padded arm rest will be provided. This type is useful for devotions such as the Rosary, which do not require a book, or for private, non-liturgical prayer. Prie-dieux may be provided in church weddings for the bride and groom to kneel on during the service (either one long double prie-dieu or a pair), or may be used by a cleric when he or she leads the worshippers in prayers such as litanies and other prayers. In the Byzantine Rite, a prie-dieu is provided for the bishop when he kneels in the Holy Doors during the consecration of a church. One may also be used by the priest reciting Kneeling Prayers at Pentecost.
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Prie-dieu, revision 1300490249 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Dictionnaire universel, contenant généralement tous les mots françois tant vieux que modernes et les termes de toutes les sciences et des arts. Chez Arnout & Reinier Leers. 1690.
- 2.Cependant, les femmes riches ont des pliants apportés par leurs valets et des bancs en pierre existent parfois le long des murs ou autour des piliers.
- 3.La vie de Paris sous Louis XIII. Calmann-Lévy. 1932.
- 4.Recueil des règles de coutume qui régissent la paroisse.
- 5.Certaines places sont gratuites, tels les bancs situés le long des murs.
- 6.Les biens de ce monde : les finances de l'Église catholique au dans le diocèse de Paris (1802-1905). Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux. 2004.
- 7.Le banc d'œuvre est réservé aux membres du conseil de fabrique.
- 8.Cf. n°21 de la Présentation Générale du Missel Romain (PGMR) de 1969, dispositions reprises et amendées dans la PGMR de 2002, cf.
- 9.Distinction et supériorité sociale (Moyen Âge et époque moderne). CRAHM. 2010.
- 10.Saint-Onuphre. Souvenirs d'un autre temps. Fayard. 2009.
- 11.Vogue's book of etiquette : a complete guide to traditional forms and modern usage. Simon and Schuster. 1948.
- 12.Coussin de prie-Dieu.
- 13.Tenture de prie-Dieu.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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