On Dec. 22, 2000, with the blessing of His Eminence Vitaly, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad ("ROCA"), an "Orthodox Devotion League in the Memory of Royal Martyrs" ("ODL") was founded. The main goal of the ODL was the preservation and support of Russian Orthodoxy throughout the world in accordnace with the 80-year-old traditions of ROCA.

In 2001 the ODL was incorporated in the State of New York as a not-for-profit corporation and during its first two years of existence it engaged in gathering and disseminating information concerning various events occurring within ROCA. This took on an added importance after unlawful removal from office of Metropolitan Vitaly in July 2001 and the takeover of ROCA's administration by a group of ROCA bishops under the leadership of Archbishop Lavr. In November 2001 these bishops openly changed the traditional course of ROCA and Metropolitan Vitaly, after gathering around him clergy and laymen who remained true to the 80-year-old ROCA traditions, continued to guide the ROCA ship along the traditional course of Russian Orthodoxy Abroad.

At this time the ODL has agreed, in addition to its engagement in providing information, to raise funds for various needs of ROCA under the omophorium of Metropolitan Vitaly, ROCA(V) and, more specifically, for the needs of Metropolitan Vitaly, for which purpose we give the ODL our archbishop's blessing. The ODL gave assurances to ensure strict accounting of collected funds and to provide detailed reports to contributors on raised and expended amounts. The ODL president is Peter N. Budzilovich, who is widely known throughout the both ROCA and general Russian-American community.

We are asking all ROCA faithful to support this undertaking by sending your contribution. Checks or money orders should be made out to "Orthodox Devotion League" or, simply, to "ODL," and mailed to:

Electronic transfers should be sent to:

In addition, please be advised that the Fund for the Support of Metropolitan Vitaly, managed by Fr. Spyridon (Schneider), as well as all addresses and accounts for this fund, as of now, are invalid, since this Fund is no longer in existence.