SOME BACKGROUND ON SAINT CANICE

Canice, (the name means Kenny in English) - Born 515 Died 599. He was born in Derry and died at Kilkenny.

He studied in the famous monastery of St Comgall in Bangor, Wales. In the stain glass windows of our parish church, it is mentioned that he studied under St Finian. At the time he was a student there were no fewer than 3,000 students at this monastery. He was to travel to Rome, like St Patrick, and then returned to Ireland where he set us two monasteries, one at Aghaboe, the other at Kilkenny, which bears his name.

On the feast day in 1905 Cardinal Moran spoke of Canices devotion to ‘the transcription of the sacred writings and the perfection of the lessons of divine truth that were written in the pages of the inspired authors. Some of the great treasures of the early Church were transcribed by the monks of such monasteries. These monks then taught them to the disciples who studied at such monasteries.

Canice is well known in Scotland. One of his very close friend was St Columba who had set up a monastery on Iona. On one occasion while Columba and his fellow monks were on the journey to Iona their small craft was caught in a violent storm. Columba assured his frightened fellow travellers that his friend Canice would pray for them in their need. At the time Canice was eating with his monks in the refectory. He intuitively sensed that something was wrong and in haste went to the chapel to pray for Columba to Columba and his companions were delivered from the storm. This is part of the legend of Canice. There seems to have been a lot of legend about the man. None of his written works on the scriptures or works of devotion remain. However, he is the patron saint of sailors instorm.

In a word he was a man of great learning and eloquence. He had a great love of the Sacred Scriptures and the Church. He was a builder of community.

It was Cardinal Moran who chose the patron for the new church.