St. Canera: Patron Saint and Early Irish Feminist

It is a mystery why a church in land locked southwest Missouri, a parish in the rocky Missouri Ozarks was named for an Irish patron saint of sailors who died in 530 AD. Parishioners may never know if the name came from the Irish railroad workers who built the iron road into the Ozarks, from some of the first parishioners, from a priest or even from the Bishop Hogan who dedicated the church but St. Canera Catholic Church in Neosho, Missouri remains the sole church dedicated to this Irish holy woman.

Even the spelling of her name is uncertain. Canera, Cannera, Kinnera, Conaire, and Cainder are all variant forms of this saint's name. Canera is believed to have been native to Beanntraighe (Bantry or Bantry Bay) in western County Cork in and to have lived much of her life there as an anchorite. An anchorite's withdrawal from society and the world is more extreme than a simple hermit so Canera's life must have been both spiritual and solitary. She was a virgin and although she lived as an anchorite, it is likely that she would have been brought food by relatives or friends. Although she may have never seen most of those who provided her basic needs, Canera must have been supported by a community.

In the 6th century, was a monastic center from which missionaries spread out to convert much of
Northern Europe. Gaelic was the native language of the island and was a rich land, with many natural resources to support its' people.

After St. Senan founded a monastery on Inis Craig or Scattery Island in southern Clare, word spread of the community. St. Canera experienced a vision in which she saw a pillar of light ascending into heaven from Inis Craig from St. Senan's monastery. To her, that meant that it must be an exceptionally holy sight and since she believed she was near death, Canera made the decision to travel to the island monastery.