Miracle of St. Januarius' Blood Liquefies in Naples

The faithful of Naples, Italy, were filled with profound relief on December 16 when the blood of St. Januarius, the city's patron saint, miraculously liquefied. The long-awaited event, which had the city in suspense throughout the day, occurred at 5:40 p.m. (local time) at the Naples Cathedral.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Highlights

By Abigail James
12/20/2024 (1 week ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: St. Januarius, Miracle, Naples

Since 9 a.m., the reliquary containing St. Januarius' blood had been exposed to the faithful by Father Gregorio Vincenzo. However, despite hours of anticipation, the blood remained solid until the afternoon, leading many to wonder if the miracle would occur at all.

Following the miraculous liquefaction, the blood was carried to the Treasury Chapel of the cathedral, where a Mass was celebrated in thanksgiving. The miracle itself involves the mass of blood, which adheres to one side of the ampoule, turning into liquid and spreading across the entire glass.

This extraordinary phenomenon has been witnessed since 1389 on three significant occasions: every September 19, the feast day of St. Januarius; December 16, the anniversary of his intervention in preventing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631; and the Saturday before the first Sunday in May, marking the transfer of his relics to Naples.

On December 16, 1631, tradition holds that the people of Naples carried the relics of St. Januarius in a procession to prevent the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which threatened to destroy the city. During the procession, the lava miraculously ceased its advance, and since then, the event has been known as the "laypeople's miracle."

While the liquefaction of St. Januarius' blood is not guaranteed, and sometimes takes hours or even days, Neapolitans view the absence of the miracle as a bad omen, as was the case in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II.

The Catholic Church teaches that this miracle, which defies scientific explanation, is the result of the devotion and prayers of the faithful. "The miracle has happened!" the faithful exclaim, rushing to the altar to kiss the relic. In joyful gratitude, they sing the Te Deum after Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, the Archbishop of Naples, processes around the church holding the sacred relic.