Priyadarshini Sen

In this area’s matrilineal culture, women have taken on new responsibilities in Catholic churches in the region, acting as catechists, leading parish councils and shaping pastoral life as spiritual counselors.

From his kitchen in a suburb of North Mumbai, 50-year-old Catholic priest Warner D'Souza preaches across a kitchen counter laden with garden-fresh vegetables and finely ground spices for a one-pot meal. The mini homily is a prelude to an episode of his YouTube program, "Food for the Soul," a series of lockdown lessons about food and spirituality.