A young nun has died under mysterious circumstances.in a remote parish in northern Michigan, and her superior, Father Rivard, has been charged with her murder. The play alternates between interrogations, testimony and scenes from the past which reveal that Father Rivard, who had been banished to the small, up-country parish, fell in love with Sister Rita. Circumstances forced Sister Rita to move into the rectory with him, and his anguish became unbearable. Their inevitable relationship causes them to descend into feeling of tragic guilt and betrayal, but not until the explosive and surprising climax of the play is the full extent of their sacrifice made clear and the identity of the murderer revealed.