Chapter 1 Summary

The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos is a story of injustice and faith that passes the barriers of time. In the novel, a young, unhealthy priest keeps a journal during the time he serves in his first parish. Although his parishioners treat him unkindly, gossip about him and misinterpret his actions, the priest remains faithful to God and serves the parish to the best of his ability. In the end of the story, the priest dies of stomach cancer. Before his death, however, the priest learns the mystery of grace and loving oneself.

The narrator, a young priest, begins the novel by describing his parish, a place and a people that he says is bored stiff. The priest has the sense the people of the parish are full of loneliness and are waiting for a master to lead them to...