Msgr. Dr. Alexander Baran Memorial Event
Photos by Mr. Bob Talbot, U of M Photographer
On Friday, September 18, 2009, the U of M Archives & Special Collections hosted a special event to honour the memory of one of its donors, Msgr. Dr. Alexander Baran.
The official portion of the event consisted of a few of Monsignor Baran’s colleagues and friends sharing some personal thoughts and memories of the man, -- followed by a reception in the Archives. Speaking at the event were: Dr. Oleh Gerus representing the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Canada, UVAN (Ukrains’ka Vil’na Akademiia Nauk u Kanadi), and also a longtime friend and colleague of Msgr. Baran, of the University of Manitoba’s Department of History; Dr. John Wortley, Professor Emertus, Department of History, and longtime friend and colleague; Dr. Christine Butteril, Dean of Studies, St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba, a college with which Monsignor Baran had had a long affiliation with; Dr. Roman Yereniuk, Acting Director of the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, University of Manitoba, a colleague of Msgr. Baran both at the University of Manitoba, and UVAN; and Ms. Irene Gajecky, whose family had been friends of Monsignor Baran, for many many years, and whose tireless assistance with his archives has been of invaluable help.
The U of M Archives & Special Collection is honoured to be the recipient of the Alexander Baran fonds. This archival collection is a treasure trove of information for any researcher or scholar interested in Transcarpathian history and culture, as well as the history of the Ukrainian Catholic Church both here in Canada and Ukraine. His archives spans his entire life: from his childhood; to his life as a seminarian and a priest; and his many years as a scholar and faculty member with the University of Manitoba's Department of History. There are dozens of photographs which serve as a chronology of his life, and pages upon pages of textual records focusing on his scholarly research, and the the many national and international cultural, academic and religious organizations that he was associated with through the years, including serving as president of UVAN, as well as president of Oseredok, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre here in Winnipeg. His archival collection has been processed, and an inventory of his whole collection is available online to assist local, national and international researchers.
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