September 19th, the Feast of St. Januarius

St. Januarius

A Church in Naples entomb, the relics, and a vial of blood of St. Januarius. In the 14th century there occurred a phenomenon that was to attract curiosity throughout the centuries until even today the happenings provoke worldwide interest: The year was 1389. A procession was making its way about the cathedral when the priest holding the flasks containing the saint's coagulated blood noticed that the contents began to liquefy and bubble. Since then the blood has repeated this phenomenon 18 times each year: on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May and the eight days following; on the feast of the saint, September 19, and during the octave, and on December 16.

Today, 19^th September the feast of St. Janurius. Welcome to the saint of the day.

The biographical information available on St. Januarius is very little. The saint's history begins with the Roman Emperor Diocletian whose persecution during the dawning years of the fourth century made martyrs of innumerable Christians. Among his victims was counted St. Januarius, who was serving as bishop of Benevento. The imprisonment of the bishop occurred in A.D. 305 when he journeyed to Pozzuoli to offer encouragement to Sossius, a deacon who had been imprisoned. The bishop was soon arrested together with several ministers who had labored beside the saint in the service of the Church. They were thrown to the wild beasts, but when the animals did not attack them, they were beheaded. After their decapitation the bodies were removed to various cities. St. Januarius’ body was taken to Benevento, then to Monte Vergine and lastly to Naples where it was entombed in the main church of the city, with two vials of his blood that had been collected by devout followers. Around this tomb the great cathedral was constructed. Here Januarius was honorably remembered by the faithful of the city.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015, during a visit of Pope Francis to the Cathederal of Naples, the blood of St Januarius liquefied after the Pope venerated and kissed the relic. The last time the blood of St Januarius liquefied in the presence of a Pope was back in 1848 with Pope Pius IX. The miraculous blood liquefacation occurred at the end of the meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the cathedral of Naples. During this time, the Pope kissed and venerated the relic, and then the Pope gave a blessing with the relic to all those present . When Crescenzio Sepe, the Cardinal of the Diocese,  initially gave the relic to the Pope, the blood was still solid on one side of the vial, however when Pope Francis returned the reliquary, the cardinal looked at the relic and then announced: “It seems that St. Januarius loves the Pope, because the blood is already half liquefied.” 

To downplay the event, The Pope Francis replied: "The bishop just announced that the blood half-liquefied. We can see the saint only half loves us. If only half of it liquefied that means we still have work to do; we have to do better. We must all spread the Word, so that he loves us more!" 

Soon afterwards however it was noted that all of the blood had liquefied completely. The liquefaction occurred during Pope Francis' one day pilgrimage to Naples, during which time he visited the poor of the city and also a prison.