What does feretory mean?
A feretory is a shrine that houses the relics of a saint, most commonly understood as a portable, often ornate casket carried in religious processions. The term also refers to the space in a church — frequently a raised platform or chapel behind the high altar — where such a shrine was set for veneration by pilgrims. Feretories were central to medieval devotional life: cathedral plans were sometimes shaped around them, with ambulatories built so worshippers could file past the relics without disturbing services. The word derives ultimately from the Greek pherein, 'to carry,' via Latin feretrum, meaning bier, reflecting the shrine's processional function. Today 'feretory' survives almost exclusively in historical, architectural, and liturgical writing, making it a precise and evocative term for anyone describing medieval churches, relic cults, or the rituals of pilgrimage.
nounA shrine, especially a portable one, in which the relics of a saint are kept; in medieval churches, the feretory was often the raised platform or chapel behind the high altar where such relic shrines were displayed.
- A shrine or receptacle, especially a portable one, containing the relics of a saint.
- The part of a church, typically behind or around the high altar, where such a shrine stands and where pilgrims come to venerate relics.
"Pilgrims filed past the gilded feretory to venerate the saint's relics."
"On the feast day, monks carried the silver feretory in procession through the abbey cloister."
"Medieval cathedrals often placed the feretory behind the high altar so pilgrims could circulate around it."
Regular plural: feretories.
"Several feretories were borne aloft during the festival procession."
The word 'feretory' traces all the way back to the Greek verb pherein — 'to carry' — because these holy boxes were literally built to be paraded through the streets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feretory
Feretory entered English in the Middle Ages via Anglo-Norman feretorie, from medieval Latin feretoria or feretorium. These derive from Latin feretrum, meaning a bier or frame for carrying, which itself comes from Greek pheretron, 'that by which something is carried,' rooted in the verb pherein, 'to carry.' English words sharing this ancient root include transfer and fertile-related forms from Latin ferre, 'to bear.'
How feretory is actually used
A rare, learned term used mainly in discussions of medieval church architecture, liturgy, and hagiography; it sounds formal or antiquarian in ordinary conversation. The plural is feretories.
Easily confused with feretory
A reliquary is any container for sacred relics, whereas a feretory specifically denotes a portable relic shrine or the area housing one within a church.