Twenty years after taking an acrimonious leave of his family and friends in order to join the Roman church, Monsignor Renard (John Thaw) returns to his home village as parish priest. World War Two is well under way, and Nazi occupation is imminent. In addition to reassuring the locals, Renard must also attempt to repair his relationship with estranged brother Yves (Des McAleer), who resents his sibling having escaped the responsibility of running the family business.