Léon Morin, Priest

A young mother in an Alpine town who starts as a jaded, lapsed-Catholic turned atheist and militant communist. She is protective of her daughter France, even arranging a baptism to shield her from the occupation. Her conversations with Léon Morin gradually challenge her beliefs and spark a spiritual reconsideration, while her longing for human connection adds emotional tension.

A young, thoughtful curate whose calm, probing theology engages Barny in sustained conversations. He offers to lend books and becomes a moral anchor for her, embodying steadfast faith and compassionate guidance. Their intellectual exchanges explore faith, doubt, and the possibility of spiritual awakening.

The administrative secretary at the relocated school and a friend within Barny’s circle. Her life is unsettled by the war, and news of her brother’s arrest by the Gestapo tests her resilience and deepens her emotional strain.

A collaborationist coworker who befriends Barny and Christine and is drawn into the network of interactions surrounding Léon Morin. Her presence highlights the moral ambiguity and everyday choices people face under occupation.

France is Barny's young daughter, a child living through wartime upheaval. To protect her, Barny sends France to live on a secluded farm, a decision that fuels the emotional stakes of the story and frames Barny’s evolving view of faith and protection.

France as an older child/adult figure who embodies the long arc of growth and memory in a town scarred by war. Her presence anchors the consequences of the adults’ choices and the crossing of faith, family, and community.

Older France represents the enduring memory of the town and the continuity of the family through the war’s upheavals. Her perspective reflects the long-term impact of the occupation on generations.

A German officer in the occupied town who embodies the presence and authority of the occupying power. He stands as a contextual figure within the town’s wartime milieu.