September 19 + Saint Januarius

Januarius, also known as San Gennaro, was the bishop of Benevento. Along with his six companions – Festus, Desiderius, Sossus, Proculus, Euticius, and Acutius – Januarius was arrested during the Christian persecution of Diocletian in 305. The young bishop and his faithful friends were thrown to the lions in the Flavian Amphitheater at Pozzuoli. But when the animals did not go near the 7 men, the soldiers beheaded them.

Faithful Christians requested the bodies (and heads) of Januarius and his six companions to allow for a proper burial. Some of Januarius’ blood was collected and transferred into an ampoule – a small glass vial used to preserve a liquid – which made its way to Naples. The bishop’s bones were buried in the crypt of the cathedral. And the ampoule still contains some of his dried blood.

A few times a year, the ampoule of dried blood is shown to the public – today, the feast of St. Januarius, is one of those days. The Archbishop of Naples processes with the relic around the cathedral, the faithful pray intensely, and then it happens. Januarius’ dried blood begins to liquefy and bubble as the ancient relic is shown to the people of God.

The liquefaction of Januarius' blood happens three times a year and has been reoccurring for over 400 years. This unexplainable miracle has been witnessed by thousands of people in Naples. Experiments have been conducted, yet there has been no medical or scientific explanation for this unusual phenomenon.

For over 4 centuries Christians have found a deeper faith in Christ and His Church because of the blood of Januarius. Some have even turned to Jesus for the first time because of it. Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” And sometimes, that blood is bubbling.