“Young People Come to Church for God, Not for Its Members”: French Nun-Influencer

October 29, 2025: At 29, Sr. Albertine Debacker is proving that a religious habit and a social media hashtag can make a powerful pair. The French nun has emerged as an unexpected yet deeply influential figure in the Church’s online mission field, connecting with hundreds of thousands of young people across digital platforms. Since 2022, her authentic faith and radiant joy have turned her into a standout voice in Catholic media. Today, she inspires more than 330,000 followers on Instagram and over 200,000 on TikTok.

Without ever seeking fame, Sr. Albertine has become a digital missionary — one who brings Christ to the scrolling generation.

When Faith Went Viral

In a country renowned for its secularism, Catholic social media in France has seen a surprising revival. That became unmistakably clear on March 5, when churches across France witnessed an unprecedented turnout of young people for Ash Wednesday Masses.

Many were attending for the first time, and their participation, according to multiple surveys and reports, had a clear link to what happened online. Sr. Debacker was at the heart of it.

“I was inundated with messages from young people asking me if they had ‘the right’ to receive the ashes without being baptised. They felt very comfortable talking about it with their friends, and shared the videos and the answers I provided,” she told OSV News.

“Ramadan began at around the same time and many young people were wondering about Lent after conversations with Muslim friends,” she said, explaining that she tried to describe Lent in a clear and educational manner, rather than as “a Christian Ramadan.”

From Finance to a Faith Warrior

Sr. Albertine’s journey to online evangelization began unexpectedly while she worked as chaplaincy head at a Catholic school in Lyon.

“I was in charge of chaplaincy for 15- to 20-year-olds,” she recalled. “I felt frustrated that out of 1,300 students, few came to the chaplaincy meetings. I wondered how I could reach those who did not come. So I had the idea of making videos. I did not think it would go beyond the school. But there are no borders on social media, and they spread very quickly,” she said.

“When making these videos, I was thinking specifically about young people who did not practise their Catholic faith,” she added. “You have to start with the basics for them and explain everything in a very simple way, using their codes. From there, they, among themselves, are the best channels of communication.”

Before entering religious life, Debacker worked in finance in Paris. At 24, she joined the Chemin Neuf community — a diverse and internationally active Catholic movement born from the charismatic renewal.

“I joined it because I felt a special calling to the mission,” said Debacker, now studying philosophy in Paris.

Joyful Witness in a Digital Age

Recognised for her cheerful manner and humorous touch, Debacker speaks about the essentials of faith and God with warmth and practicality. She addresses everyday questions — from how to pray consistently to living intentionally with God.

Her short videos often dramatize scenes from daily Catholic life, such as confessions or ceremonies, sometimes featuring other collaborators.

“Each video is a response to questions asked by a specific person with whom I have spoken, and who has shared with me their doubts or misconceptions about the Catholic faith,” she told OSV News.

Chemin Neuf now serves in 30 countries, with more than 2,400 members — including 400 consecrated celibates and 120 priests. The community manages student residences, retreats for families and couples, and pastoral responsibilities in around 30 parishes across twelve nations.

Even though she’s often sought after by French and international media, Sr. Albertine insists on one discipline: “I always seek permission from my superiors before giving interviews.”

Keeping the Balance

Despite her growing influence, she remains grounded in community life. “I do not spend more than half a day a week on this missionary work on social media,” she explained. “It must not take up too much space. This is the condition, with my daily life within my community, for maintaining balance and distance from social media.”

Part of her weekly online time is devoted to personal messages — hundreds of them. “That is where something really important can happen for them,” she noted. Through these one-on-one exchanges, she gains insight into the anxieties shaping younger generations.

“They have been immersed since childhood in catastrophic scenarios for the future,” she observed. “In the frightening world in which they are growing up, they are looking for guidance. In this quest, the Church’s long history is an asset for them. They are looking for reliable support, something solid on which to build the foundations of their lives, and they trust the Church to provide that.”

“With the abuse crisis of recent years, one might have thought that the Church had lost credibility,” Debacker told OSV News. “But that is not the case for young people. They are aware of the abuse, and they know that the Church is not perfect, but surprisingly, that does not stop them, whereas it has deeply hurt older generations.”

“With all this,” she said, “the Church has gained in humility.”

“One thing is certain, young people are not drawn to the Church because of its members, priests or authority figures. They come for God.”

The Real Meets the Virtual

For Sr. Albertine, social media is a tool — not a substitute for community. “Something new is happening on these social networks. But Mass and the sacraments cannot be done virtually! Our religion is that of the Incarnation, and we need to come together. The phenomenon we observed on Ash Wednesday was a beautiful combination of the dynamism of social media and traditional parish life. One nourishes the other.”

“We must offer young people the ideal of evangelical life through the means of communication that are theirs,” she concluded. “Sometimes they are far from this ideal, and we must accompany them in their personal situation. But what I try to tell them is that their lives and the Gospel ideal are not incompatible. It is a matter of being signs of God’s love and mercy for each person, by witnessing his closeness. Social media is particularly well suited to this. After that, it is the Holy Spirit who does the rest.”

Source & image credit: Global Sisters Report