The Irony of Bishop Crimmings' Visit
Crimmings is staying in town to help his friend Father Gregory settle into his new role at the parish. Since Gregory is new to town, his authority within the community is not what it should be. He's in the difficult position of needing to prove himself to the locals in order to fully accomplish his task as a spiritual leader; he's trying to build trust. Oddly enough when Susan's case is brought to his attention, he is given the perfect opportunity to prove himself to his congregation. This means that Crimmings visit is ill-timed because they start questioning why he doesn't handle the case himself because of his more prestigious and credible position within the church, so he is called upon to remain a respectful observer in order to allow Gregory to build the ethos he needs to do his job well.
The Irony of Susan's Sexual Promiscuity
Susan, who formerly was a remarkably well-behaved teen, begins to engage in overtly sexual acts which her culture condemns. Among other things, she strips naked in front of the priest during a session and then tries to violently attack him. At first startled, Father Gregory locks onto this symptom of her distress as a major key to solving the problem. After some careful research he discovers that Susan's father beats her for all kinds of disciplinary reasons. He has created a threatening home environment, so it's no surprise that she's experiencing mental duress. Gregory concludes that Susan unconsciously has begun to engage in such risky sexual behavior because she is attempting to regain control over her body which feels constantly violated by her father.
The Irony of Mr. Garth Asking Father Gregory for Help
Mr. Garth used to attend church every week with Susan, for her sake. When he becomes frustrated with Susan's strange behavior, he reaches out to Father Gregory first. He thinks that a spiritual leader is the most qualified to help her heal, but he later regrets this decision. As he listens to his friend's anti-Catholic sentiments more and more, he starts to suspect that the church is somehow responsible for Susan's condition. Eventually he starts outright accusing Gregory of causing all of their problems.
The Irony of Church Leaders Foregoing Tradition
Both Gregory and Crimmings view their primary job as caring for the spiritual health of their congregation and the local community. When they get caught up in Susan's case, they start neglecting some regular duties at the church. Poor Father Gregory cancels a Sunday service which leads his congregation to nearly revolt against him. They are concerned with the rules and traditions more so than their leaders. In fact Gregory and Crimmings prioritize relationships over church tradition by far. It's surprising to find these two perspectives held by the respective parties because usually in the Catholic Church it is the religious leaders who most strongly advocate for the preservation of tradition.
The Irony of Gregory's Alcoholism
As a religious leader, Father Gregory is called upon to be the example for his congregation of ethical behavior. He is not, however, a perfect man. He struggles with a few vices, namely alcohol. He's sort of an alcoholic. In fact his superiors sent him to this particular parish, knowing his personal problems, in order to help the members loosen up a little bit. He's supposed to be a wrench in the system. His unconventional approach to church leadership nearly gets him kicked out by his congregation, though.
