In God's Command

Summary: On battlefields throughout history, the army chaplain has been there, offering spiritual support and material comfort. Canadian peacekeepers stationed in former Yugoslavia are the same as soldiers anywhere: they need support, guidance, or just a sympathetic ear. Whenever they ask, 'Got a minute, Padre?' one man always does. He's Captain Mark Sargent, decorated army officer, Roman Catholic priest and chaplain to the soldiers of the First Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. In God's Command offers an intimate profile of the work of this remarkable man as he travels from bunker to bunker and from village to village, ministering to soldiers and civilians caught in the bloody conflict that has torn apart the Balkans. Whether he's arranging to say Mass for a handful of villagers, or quietly celebrating in the baptism of a soldier who has found faith in a country divided by religious tensions, the conviction, compassion and humour that have earned Sargent the respect and affection of soldier and civilian alike shine through.