Christine French’s faith-filled journey as a mother of seven offers inspiring wisdom on raising children who embrace both joy and devotion to God.
Written by Beck Hanrahan
The influence of the French brothers: A model of faith and joyful living
Early in my conversion journey, I encountered a truly wholesome, intelligent and convivial group of young men. Only in their twenties, I was struck by their unapologetic love of the Catholic faith. They frequently attended Mass, even on New Year’s Eve. They prayed the Rosary with their family, without the slightest hesitation. They attended retreats and pilgrimages, including walking the Camino. And their cheerful influence always seemed to draw in others, meaning they always had a crowd of equally wholesome friends nearby.
These young men were known to me as the French brothers. One brother, now the well known digital missionary and Broken Bay priest, Fr Sam French, was about to join the seminary. He was soon to be followed by his younger brother, Matthew.
As a fresh twenty-something young woman, new to the faith, it was striking to see this very real devotion and personal love of God in such a vibrant group of young men. Their zealous faith, juxtaposed against their love of beer, card games, Mario Kart, neighbourhood cricket tournaments, and rambunctious conversation was even more striking.
Their example was very much one of: I can have a genuine love of God and Catholicism, and also have fun in my twenties.
Now, nearly a decade gone, I am married with three children, and I wonder how the mother of those young men, Christine French, did it. It made me question: How can I raise children that will be fun, wholesome human beings, that also deeply love Jesus and the Catholic faith? How can I raise children in this modern world, whilst ensuring they don’t lose sight of heaven?
I know I am not alone in those questions. So I interviewed Christine French to find out.
What I found was quite surprising. You will see a simplicity and a quiet faithfulness in Christine’s testimony that will no doubt be a hopeful example to every Catholic mother in Australia.
Introducing Christine French, mother of seven
Christine French, 59, lives with her husband Bernard, 62, on the beautiful Central Coast, north of Sydney. Married for 37 years, Christine and Bernard have been blessed with seven faith-filled children.
Christine’s role as a mother of a large family has been deeply influenced by her Catholic beliefs, and she has spent her life nurturing her family’s faith within their home.
Embracing motherhood through Faith
Reflecting on her own motherhood, Christine said:
Ever since I was a young child I wanted to be married and be a mother. I love being a mother. Motherhood for me has been both challenging and joyful, especially when trying to guide children in the way of faith.
My Catholic faith is central to my life, to our married life and is first and foremost in my mind when it comes to rearing children… Faith that when I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, He is again filling me with grace to co-operate in the mission He has given me as a daughter of God, wife, and mother.
A Mother’s Rule of Life
Early in her motherhood, Christine found it useful to develop a Rule of Life that would help her to maintain a level of order and peace in the family home.
She took inspiration from A Mother’s Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot, which focuses on five key areas: Prayer, Person, Partner, Parent, and Provider. Christine was then able to develop a balanced approach to her spiritual, personal, and family responsibilities, adapting her principles based on the season of life she was in.
Raising a son to the priesthood
Christine’s son, Fr. Sam French, is a 32 year old Assistant Priest at Manly Freshwater Parish, Diocese of Broken Bay (Sydney).
Christine shares that raising Fr. Sam was much like raising her other children—encouraging their strengths, working on their weaknesses, and supporting their individual interests. She always encouraged them to “freely choose their vocation based on what they believe is God’s will for them.” Once they made that decision, Christine says that she and Bernard fully support their children in their calling.
Although she didn’t recognise early signs of Fr. Sam’s priestly vocation, Christine recalls Fr Sam’s broad range of interests. She acknowledges that he had many “traits that have proven valuable in his ministry,” especially his engagement with people from all walks of life, his good sense of humor, and his love for trying new things.
Fr Sam French, in addition to his priestly duties, has amassed a large online following. He now reaches millions of young people with his viral videos about the priesthood and the Catholic faith. His online presence @frsamfrench has grown to 176,000 followers on Instagram and 73,000 on TikTok. Fr Sam’s younger brother John, similarly creates Catholic content online. @johniscatholic has 146,000 followers on Instagram and 140,000 on TikTok.
Fr Sam French reflects on his mother
I reached out to Fr Sam to ask him about the impact his mother’s faithfulness had on his own spiritual journey. Having read a draft of this article, he commented with his usual characteristic humour: “I couldn’t help but notice that Mum, in her usual way, conveniently glossed over the fact that I was a rather argumentative brat as a teenager…but I suppose she never lost hope!”
On a more serious note, he added:
Reflecting on my upbringing with Mum, I’m reminded of Mother Teresa’s words: Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mum’s constancy in the little daily duties – caring, providing, praying – has always been her quiet strength. There’s a stability in my mum’s rule of life, a witness to holiness in the ordinary that I certainly took for granted when I was younger. Now, having seen her commitment to her vocation as wife and mother, I realise how profoundly she’s shown me what it means to embrace God’s will – even in the mundane, even when it’s not glamorous.
That’s perhaps the most important lesson in any vocation!
Mum’s constancy in the little daily duties - caring, providing, praying - has always been her quiet strength.
Fr. Sam French
The power of prayer
When it comes to prayer, Christine encourages mothers to keep praying, and to keep in relationship with Jesus. “Whether you feel like it or not, make prayer a priority,” she says:
Consistency is the key. Regular relationship with God is essential. God knows you, He loves you, and He hears your prayers…Sometimes, prayers are answered as you ask, and other times in a different way. Trust Him, and have faith that He hears you.
Advice for Catholic mothers
If you are a Catholic mother wanting to raise children with a strong foundation of faith, Christine suggests you “be an example of faith yourself.”
- Live out your faith for your children to see:
Develop a regular prayer time. Go to confession regularly. Pray the Rosary. Make visits to the Blessed Sacrament and adoration when you are able. Go to Mass every Sunday, and when you can throughout the week.
- Instruct your children in the faith:
Teach your children a basic catechism, so they know the truths of the faith, read Scripture regularly to them, and incorporate simple liturgical living in your home.
- Where possible, get involved in a ministry at your church:
We encouraged our children to be involved as well. Acts of service within the home and in the wider community are opportunities for all of us to put our faith into action.
Faith traditions in family life
Faith has been the cornerstone of the French family’s daily life. Both Christine and Bernard emphasised prayer, community, and the sacraments as core pillars of their faith.
They also gave their children role models of faith – their family home was a welcoming space for seminarians, priests, and religious guests alike.
Christine shared that she made a particular effort to build a prayerful atmosphere at home. She explained: “We prayed before meals and talked and read about God. We read lots of good saint books and books of virtue, for example, Father Tierney’s Bush Boys series. I tried to choose good quality books that would appeal to their sense of adventure and dignity”.
Some of Christine’s children attended school and some were homeschooled. Regardless, they “gathered each morning before school, to pray a prayer to our guardian angels asking them to pray for us at Mass, and we listened to and briefly discussed the gospel of the day.” The Rosary became an essential part of their evenings, and over time, Christine introduced additional devotions like the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Sundays.
Trusting God's plan in motherhood
When asked what has been the most fulfilling part of her motherhood journey so far, Christine said, “Seeing my children striving to be young men (and woman) of faith. Working out their salvation, guided by Our Lord and His blessed mother.”
Christine’s testimony can inspire every Catholic mother in Australia to recognise the importance of our own faith, and to take seriously – without fear – our duty to pass it on to our children.
Christine’s favourite scripture embodies her faithful journey thus far: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
3 Responses
Loooove this! Thank you Beck for this beautiful interview. Feeling inspired 😀
Christine is an inspiring woman!
What a blessing it would be to have Christine as a friend! This has been an inspirational read, thank you!