Bimola Montry wears many hats as she balances the roles of a family breadwinner and a committed catechist.

The 45-year mother of two has served the Our Lady of Charity Church of Raikia, a parish under the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar arch-diocese, for the past 22 years.

“Being catechist is a call from God despite my unworthiness. This work strengthens my commitment to be an instrument of God,” Montry said while talking to Matters India over phone on May 27.

The archdiocese has 400 part-time and 42 fulltime catechists. But only two full-timers are women, including Montry. “It is true it is a male-dominated world. But my male colleagues collaborate with me well. They never discriminate me just because I am a woman,” she said.

Female catechists are a rare species in the Odisha Church.

For example, all 300 prayer conductors and 32 full-time catechists in neighbouring Rayagada diocese are men.

Berhampur, another diocese in the state, has one woman among 370 catechists and 30 touring catechists. The same is the case with Rourkela diocese that has more than 300 part-time and 43 head catechists.