Deepertruth: Stand in the Gap With Us and Saint Januarius

Stand in the Gap With Us and Saint Januarius 9/19/2023

Today the Church celebrates St. Januarius, the patron saint of Naples and of blood banks, and his strange story is one of the best.

Januarius is the patron saint of Naples, where the faithful gather three times a year in Naples Cathedral to witness the liquefaction of what is claimed to be a sample of his blood kept in a sealed glass ampoule.

The Church believes that the miracle takes place in response to the dedication and prayers of the faithful. When the miracle occurs, the mass of reddish dried blood, adhering to one side of the ampoule, turns into completely liquid blood, covering the glass from side to side.

Many centuries ago, Saint Januarius died for the Faith during the persecution of Diocletian. God, through the blood which His servant shed for Him, some of which is conserved in Naples, continues to strengthen the faith of the Church, and to work there a regular miracle by its means.

The bishop is believed to have been martyred during the Christian persecution of Emperor Diocletian. In local lore, the failure of the blood to liquefy signals war, famine, disease, or other disaster. The liquefaction traditionally happens at least three times a year: Sept.