Have you read Doomsday Book by Connie Willis?
An excellent Plague novel, though very emotionally draining.

The Priest is ill-educated, knows nothing of hygiene, etc. But, and it's a big but, he has compassion in buckets. He believes in his god, and the god he believes in cares about people.

Sometimes, all he can do is to toll the bell after they die. But for every man, woman and child, he can't save, he will do that for them, even when he is drained beyond measure.

Most of us would believe that ringing the bell makes no difference, but to him it matters, and he believes it is important to those who have died.