Mundare's Other Attraction: The Basilian Fathers Museum

There’s more to Mundare than Stawnichy’s sausage. There’s also the surprisingly interesting Basilian Fathers Museum. The museum, established by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian order, showcases religious artifacts dating back hundreds of years as well as objects that are representative of the every day life of Ukrainian immigrants to Alberta.

Some of the every day items on display include blacksmith equipment, traditional clothing made of colourful embroidery and hand-woven material, and carpentry tools used to craft the beautiful interiors of many of the Ukrainian Catholic churches in the area. Even though these objects would have been commonplace to early settlers, they are interesting today because most people have no experience with them.

There is nothing commonplace about the museum’s religious collections. Crosses, icons, communion vessels and candlesticks used in services and rituals dazzle with their ornate decoration and intricate details. Maps, bibles and liturgical books that are hundreds of years old show the historical depth of the museum’s collections.

Basilian priests established printing presses in the areas they served and the museum also displays early printing related items such as photo negatives etched onto metal printing plates and hundreds of individually-cast metal letters that would have been typeset to make the words of the printed material.

Some of the quirkiest items were the ones from Father Jean’s private collection – beer steins, a sword and handcuffs allegedly worn by Louis Riel.

Even though there is no sausage tastier than Stawnichy’s, if you want to fill your mind rather than your belly, give the Basilian Fathers Museum a try.

The Domes of Lamont County

I’m not a regular church-goer, but I do appreciate ecclesiastical architecture. And there is a lot to appreciate on the Lamont County Church Tour.

Lamont County’s 47 churches add up to more churches per capita than anywhere else in North America. Denominations include Russo-Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Moravian, Ukrainian Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox, United, and Roman Catholic.

On the first weekend in June, many of the churches open their doors to allow the public a glimpse of the artistry within. From the architecture to the ornately-decorated interiors, there is much to admire.

The Ukrainian churches with their onion-shaped domes and elaborate interiors are my favourites. The walls and domes are often painted with icons and other religious decorations and a church’s intricate iconostasis is a work of art in itself. If you’ve never seen an iconostasis, you won’t believe the craftsmanship (see photos at the end of the post). Some churches have beautiful stained glass windows and enormous chandeliers that are unexpected elements in a country church. Many of the Ukrainian churches have bell towers separate from their church building. If you ask, you might be able to ring the church bells.

Volunteers are happy to tell you stories about their congregations, their churches and the symbolism and rituals of their religions.

Download a map of the participating churches and a brochure describing all the churches in Lamont County and hit the road on June 5 and 6 to explore the domes of Lamont County.

More photos of Lamont County churches can be found in the sidebar on the right side of the page.