La Clochette

La Clochette, meaning “The Little Bell,” was a French-language Catholic spiritual magazine published monthly in Paris between 1901 and 1919. It was issued by La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe, or the League of the Holy Mass, a Catholic organization founded by Father Esther Bouquerel. Bouquerel also served as the magazine’s editor, linking the periodical directly to the league’s religious mission. The publication appears to have been intended as a devotional and religious-information periodical rather than a commercial consumer brand in the modern sense. Its subject matter was connected with Catholic spirituality and the league’s promotion of devotion to the Mass. Although the available reference material does not provide a detailed breakdown of its editorial departments, circulation strategy, contributors, or financing, it records that La Clochette reached approximately 8,000 subscribers. That circulation indicates a meaningful audience for a specialized Catholic publication in early twentieth-century France. La Clochette is particularly notable in the history of a peace prayer that later became widely known, though inaccurately, as the “Prayer of Saint Francis.” In December 1912, the magazine printed what is identified as the earliest known version of the anonymous prayer. The text was not attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi in that publication, and the later association with him is considered erroneous. The magazine therefore occupies an important place in the documented transmission history of a prayer that subsequently achieved broad international recognition. The periodical continued publication until 1919. The end of its run came shortly after the First World War, although the available reference material does not establish a specific reason for its cessation. No reliable information is provided about a successor publication, a transfer of ownership, or the later institutional history of La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe. La Clochette should consequently be understood as a defunct historical Catholic magazine and devotional imprint, rather than as a contemporary operating brand.

La Clochette was a French Catholic spiritual magazine published monthly in Paris from 1901 to 1919. Its title translates as “The Little Bell,” a name consistent with the publication’s religious orientation. The magazine was produced by La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe, known in English as the League of the Holy Mass, a Catholic organization established by Father Esther Bouquerel. Bouquerel founded the organization and edited La Clochette. The available historical account identifies the magazine as a publication of the league rather than as an independent commercial publishing company. Its role was connected with Catholic devotional life and the league’s religious activities. Detailed information about its printing arrangements, editorial staff, distribution network, and financial structure is not available in the supplied references. Despite its specialized subject matter, La Clochette reportedly had approximately 8,000 subscribers. This figure suggests that it maintained a substantial circulation among readers interested in Catholic spirituality during the early twentieth century. The magazine’s audience and institutional sponsorship placed it within the French Catholic press of the period. The publication’s most historically significant issue appeared in December 1912. That issue contained the earliest known version of an anonymous prayer for peace. The text was later circulated internationally under the name “Prayer of Saint Francis,” but the attribution to Saint Francis of Assisi is considered incorrect. La Clochette’s publication of the 1912 text is therefore important not because the magazine claimed authorship or a Franciscan origin, but because it provides an early documented appearance of a prayer subsequently associated with one of Christianity’s best-known saints. La Clochette continued to appear until 1919, after which it ceased publication. The available source does not identify the precise circumstances of its closure, nor does it document a successor title or the subsequent fate of La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe. The magazine is accordingly best classified as a defunct historical French Catholic periodical whose lasting cultural significance derives chiefly from its connection to the early printed history of the anonymous peace prayer.

1. 1919Publication ends

   The magazine’s documented publication run concludes after eighteen years of monthly issues.

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2. 1912Early publication of the anonymous peace prayer

   The December issue publishes the earliest known version of an anonymous prayer for peace, later and inaccurately called the Prayer of Saint Francis.

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3. 1901Publication begins

   La Clochette begins monthly publication in French in Paris under the auspices of La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe.

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A Catholic devotional periodical associated with La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe, positioned around spiritual reflection and the promotion of Catholic religious life.

• La ClochetteReligious magazine1901

  A French-language Catholic spiritual magazine issued monthly in Paris from 1901 to 1919 by La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe. It served as the league’s principal periodical expression and addressed Catholic devotional concerns. The magazine is also historically important for its December 1912 publication of the earliest known version of an anonymous peace prayer later misattributed to Saint Francis of Assisi.

1. La Clochette