EXCLUSIVE: St. Phoebe Center Denies Involvement in ‘Deaconess Training’
A viral image of a woman in vestments, paired with theologically questionable statements and AI-altered backgrounds, prompts confusion and concern about unauthorized “deaconess training.”
JAN. 21, 2025 — Last week, a Facebook post by one Barbara Gulina showing herself wearing vestments and holding a censer began making the rounds on social media — in both Orthodox and non-Orthodox circles.
The post, published under a header that said, “Future Orthodox Deaconess in Training,” included many theologically inaccurate statements, with some of them even being explicitly heretical, and ended with a note that “the background of the photo was changed using AI to protect the privacy and safety of the people and place from attacks where this event happened.”
The ability to share the post has been turned off, but screenshots are shown below.
Photos: Barbara Gulina/Facebook
For many of the Orthodox faithful, this was scandalous. The question of which parish this supposed deaconess training took place at, as well as which bishop or priest may have blessed it, was a cause for concern.
Many Catholics shared the post, as well, using it in an attempt to show that Orthodox Christianity has not preserved the faith by entertaining the possibility of women’s ordination.
The Union of Orthodox Journalists of America reached out to the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess, which strongly advocates for the “revival of the ordained female diaconate in the Orthodox Church to meet the ministerial needs of the Church and world today” and is very active in events which promote this inclination.
St. Phoebe Center Chair Dr. Carrie Frost said that it had no involvement in Gulina’s stunt, despite Gulina being listed as a supporter of the organization on its website. Frost also said that the center is not aware of any women in the United States “who are currently engaged in an official program of formation or training expressly for the office of deaconess that has been formally blessed by a canonical Orthodox bishop.”
“The mission of the St. Phoebe Center is to educate about and advocate for the renewal of the office of deaconess in the Orthodox Church,” Frost said. “Many Orthodox Christians in the United States and beyond support our work and are listed as supporters of the Center. The St. Phoebe Center does not endorse specific applicants for diaconal ministry, nor does it endorse or authorize the ordination of specific candidates. Decisions regarding formation, diaconal service, and ordination rest solely with the local bishop, in accordance with the canonical and pastoral life of the Church.”
She also referred to the Center’s 2025 policy regarding endorsement, which states the following:
“The St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess endorses and encourages the admission of women to Orthodox Christian diaconal programs of study (provided they meet the criteria established by a particular program). Admitting women to diaconal programs would be a commitment to understanding the Orthodox Church as diaconal in nature and a way to encourage those who feel called to this valuable service ministry. As Orthodox communities and jurisdictions around the world continue to consider the issue of reviving the ordained order of deaconess, it also would support the training of women to someday step into these and other roles.
It is, however, not in the mission of the St. Phoebe Center as an organization to endorse any specific diaconal program applicants nor to endorse the ordination of specific candidates, as those are decisions that rest with their bishop.”
After learning that Gulina once attended St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, even holding a candle during the Great Entrance, UOJ reached out to Fr. Antony Hughes, parish priest at St. Mary’s, to see if there was any connection with Gulina’s post about “deaconess training.”
“I do not know this lady,” Fr. Antony said. “She does not attend my parish. I am not training her or any other women to be deacons.”
The frequency of sermons offered by women at St. Mary’s led some to believe that a video posted by Gulina was recorded at the Cambridge parish. Recent homilists include Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, who serves as a member of the parish council. However, Gulina’s video was recorded at her father’s parish in Lake Forest, California — St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Church, where the V. Rev. Georgiy Gulin serves as rector.
Posting the video with the caption, “My first sermon,” the recording drew additional attention since her latest post about deaconess training. This prompted Gulina to offer the following clarification in the comment section on Instagram:
“This was done for the program called ‘Women Preaching’ where we could choose a background (icon corner, or church). I decided to record it within the church. I never stated this was done live. This was a learning experience on how to do sermons, from which I later gathered feedback from others, but then decided to post it online (which essentially became my audience).”
As for her most recent post, Gulina declined to comment on where this supposed deaconess training took place when UOJ asked for clarification. However, UOJ has learned that, while Gulina visits St. Barbara due to her familial ties, her regular parish is elsewhere in California.
Gulina’s social media accounts are replete with photos of her in various costumes, often with AI-generated elements and backgrounds. She describes herself as a “princess with a purpose” who is “living out [her] fairytale.
UOJ will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.
