"Consumer culture seems to have overtaken the young girls who are no longer challenged by the call of ascetic life," says Father Paul Thelekat, Church spokesperson.

Women congregations in the country are no more getting enough vocations from urbanised areas of Kerala. But there are enough vocations to priesthood, Father Thelekat said.

In European countries the nuns are becoming extinct as a social species and the same situation may be seen in India soon, he feels.

Fifty years ago, young girls may have found the life and work being done by a sister or a nun challenging. But that is not the case today, Father Thelekat said.

This could lead to a situation when existing congregations of women would be forced to abandon many of the institutional work they are doing in educational and medical care sectors, he said in a series of articles published in SatyaDeepam a church periodical which hit the stands on Wednesday.

Increasingly, nuns are also feeling disillusioned as there seems to be a discrimination in the churches, the articles said.

According to Sister Inigo, SSA from New Delhi, women do not enjoy equality of status in the church.

"Equality for women is a non-negotiable element as far as she is concerned," sister Inigo said.