Welcome All!
St. Canice Catholic Church
317 Washington St, Nevada City, CA
530-265-2049 - www.stcanice.com

St. Canice Catholic Church

On October 2, 1851, Father Shanahan, the first resident of the Nevada City district, purchased the lot on which present day St. Canice Church stands for one hundred dollars. Father Shanahan built a wood framed church on the corner of Coyote and Washington streets. He named the church after his former parish in Troy, New York, St. Peter’s Church.

On July 19, 1856, St. Peter’s Church was burned to the ground in the great conflagration of Nevada. It was replaced by a more pretentious building called Saints Peter and Paul. This, too, burned in the fire of November 8, 1863.*

Father Shanahan was succeeded by Father Deyaert who, in turn, was succeeded by Father Dalton. Father Dalton who perceived that the town of Grass Valley was showing a greater growth in population than Nevada City decided to move his permanent residence to Grass Valley.*

In 1864, while Father Dalton was in Ireland, Father Griffin, his assistant, built a brick edifice and named the new church St. Canice after the cathedral of the same name in his native county of Kilkenny, Ireland.*

This church remained a mission of Grass Valley until 1867, when it came under the jurisdiction of the resident pastor, the Reverend Father J. Claire. The pastors following Father Claire were Father Maher (1873), Father McNulty (1874), Father Tanahm (1886), Father O’Kane (1891), Father Claire (1892), Father Clyne (1896), Father O’Reilly, Father Morgan (1944), Father Daly (1948). St. Canice Church was remodeled in 1948.*

Father Mello (1980) was followed by Father James McKnight (1994). In 2004, we were lead by Father Xavier Godwin, then, Father Tim Nondorf (2006). Father Sylvester Kwaitkowski became pastor in 2008 to present day.

* Note: Source material from “Pioneer Priests in Nevada County” by John Dwyer; “Hallowed Were The Dust Trails” by Henry L. Walsh, S.J.; Baptismal Records, Saint Canice Catholic Church
St. Canice
St. Canice Catholic Church, stately and beautiful, shining like a beacon in the morning sun has stood on the crest of a hill in Nevada City since 1864. Father John Griffin rebuilt St. Peter and Paul’s Church after the fire of 1863 and petitioned the Bishop to change the church’s name. The little church was named in memory of St. Canice Cathedral in Kilkenny, Ireland where Father Griffin was born.
The namesake of our church, St. Canice, was born Cainnech moccu Dalann at Glengiven, Derry (Londonderry) County, Northern Ireland. Legend has it that as a boy he was a Shepard for the tribal chieftain. In 543, he went to Clonard monastery to study under St. Finian and he became known as one of the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland”, and in 544, he studied at Glasnevin under St. Mobhi. He was ordained priest in 545 in the monastery of Liancarfan in Glamorganshire in Wales under St. Cadoc.
He founded many monasteries and churches in Scotland and Ireland. The first in Ireland was at Drumachose, County Westmeath. He founded a monastery at Kilkenny near the tower and cathedral that bear his name today. Lastly, St. Canice founded the monastery and the great Abbey of Aghaboe in Ossory, Queens County. St. Canice died in 600 and is reposed at Aghaboe.
St. Canice, a man of great eloquence and learning, he wrote a commentary on the Gospels known as Glas-Chainnigh (Chain of Cainnech). His feast day is October 11, and he is the Patron of the Shipwrecked.