In the Scandinavian country, often hailed as a champion of gender equality, the statistics are clear.

As of July, 50.1 per cent of priests are women and 49.9 per cent are men.

It's very likely the first Church in the world to have a majority of women priests, according to the World Council of Churches.

In the Protestant Lutheran Church of Sweden, which has 5.8 million members in a country of 10.3 million and where ministers hold the title of priest, "women are here to stay," insists Signarsdotter, who was ordained six years ago.

Since 2014, even the head of the Church is a woman, Archbishop Antje Jackelen.

At the Gustaf Vasa church, a smattering of worshippers wait for the service to begin.

"This Sunday, the service will be conducted by three women," the 37-year-old priest says proudly.

Coincidentally, it was in this imposing white church in the heart of Sweden's capital that another woman, Anna Howard Shaw, an American Methodist pastor and suffragette, became the first clergywoman to preach in Sweden.

That was in 1911, at an international women's suffrage conference, and long before women could be ordained in the Church of Sweden, in 1958.

"The men didn't allow her to go up there," explains Signarsdotter, pointing to the marble pulpit above her.

"She was allowed only on the floor," she says, standing at the altar as if to mark the spot.

This Sunday, the service will be held by Julia Svensson, a 23-year-old theology student whom Signarsdotter is mentoring — and she will give her sermon from the pulpit.

The feminisation of Sweden's priesthood is also seen at universities, where the 4.5-year theology studies required to become a priest are dominated by women.

Protestants generally believe that a priest is an expert, a theologist who tends to a congregation, and not a calling, in contrast to the Catholic Church which opposes women priests.

The rising number of women may be due to priests' changing roles over the years, suggests Signarsdotter.

"The priest's role today is not what it was before. There are other requirements, (such as) kindliness … (and) being able to handle many different situations."

"Historically men have held it for themselves but now we see it happening all over the world. Things are changing and new paths are open to us as female priests and women in general."

Divine design

One who has benefitted from the rising number of female priests is stylist Maria Sjodin, who designs vestments for women and whose business is booming.

In her atelier in a southern Stockholm suburb, the designer recently welcomed a regular customer, a female priest looking for a new collared top.

One could say divine intervention landed Sjodin here: in 2001 her daughter made a new friend at kindergarten, whose mother was a priest.

"She asked me to make her a priest shirt, because she didn't like the male shirt that she had to wear," she recalled.

The piece remains one of the most popular in her collection. Continue reading

In 2016, Fr Joseph Enkh Baatar was ordained in St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ulaanbaatar.

Like so many buildings in Mongolia's capital, the cathedral is modeled after the yurt - a round tent made of animal skin in which the peoples of the steppe have dwelled for millennia.

Fr Baatar is the country's first native priest.

There are fewer than 2,000 Catholics in Mongolia since missionary work began in earnest about 25 years ago, but their numbers are growing - albeit slowly.

And the seedling Church in Mongolia isn't alone.

As pews empty in traditionally Catholic nations, conversions are flourishing in unlikely corners of the world.

Sweden

The Lutheran state Church, like the Church of England, was established in the 16th century by royal decree.

The Catholic Church was subsequently outlawed and virtually wiped out.

And, although Sweden is heavily secularised (fewer than 30 per cent of Swedes describe themselves as religious), the Reformation's legacy continues to cause difficulties for the Church.

"The general level of knowledge about Catholicism is very low in Sweden, with a lot of bias and prejudice," Kristina Hellner, the Diocese of Stockholm's communications officer, told me.

Yet Catholicism is among the fastest-growing religions in the country.

There are 116,000 Catholics in Sweden, with 4,000 more registering each year and about 100 adult conversions.

In fact, Church officials believe the number may actually be twice as large: it doesn't take into account many immigrants, refugees and catechumens.

In any event, Sweden is one of only a handful of European countries where the Church is growing.

Recognising the Church's astonishing progress in Sweden, Pope Francis named Anders Arborelius the first Swedish cardinal last June.

Since then, he's become something of a celebrity.

"Cardinal Arborelius is very popular among journalists and has been interviewed literally everywhere," says Hellner. Fokus, the country's largest news magazine, named him "Swede of the Year" in 2017.

Arborelius was raised Lutheran and converted in his 20s, which is common for ethnically Swedish Catholics.

"Many of the most traditional and conservative Catholics in our parishes have converted from the Swedish Lutheran Church," says Hellner, adding that "they are also often the ones that are most active and ‘loud' on social media."

It's a reality that British and American Catholics know all too well.

According to the diocese, 70 catechumens will be received into the Church this Easter.

United Arab Emirates

Catholic immigrants are making their home in a very different country: the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As Arab migrants and refugees pour over Europe's borders, Filipino, Indian, Syrian, Lebanese, Nigerian and French Catholics are moving to the Gulf States in search of work in the booming oil industry.

And the Emirates are perhaps the most liberal in allowing foreign workers to practise their faith.

Catholicism has grown rapidly in the UAE in recent decades.

In 1965, the Emirates granted the Church permission to build one parish and one school in Dubai to serve the needs of its faithful.

Today there are upwards of 700,000 Catholics, 40 priests and 10 parishes there.

Dubai alone claims 300,000, making it the largest parish in the world. Continue reading

• Image: Catholic Herald