Saint Januarius (Italian : San Gennaro), Bishop of Naples , is a martyr saint of both the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches . While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later sources and legends claim that he died during the Diocletianic Persecution [2] , which ended with Diocletian's retirement in 305. Saint Januarius is the patron saint of Naples , where the faithful gather three times a year in Naples Cathedral to witness the alleged liquefaction of a sample of his blood kept in a sealed glass ampoule .
Biography
Little is known of the life of Januarius, and what follows is mostly derived from later Christian sources, such as the Acta Bononiensa (BHL 4132, not earlier than 6th century) and the Acta Vaticana (BHL 4115, 9th century), and from later-developing folk tradition.
The earliest extant mention of him is contained in a 432 letter by Uranius, bishop of Nola , on the death of his mentor Saint Paulinus of Nola , where it is stated that the ghosts of Januarius and Saint Martin appeared to Paulinus three days before the latter's death in 431 . About Januarius, the account says only that he was "bishop as well as martyr, an illustrious member of the Neapolitan church" The Acta Bononensia says that "At Pozzuoli in Campania [is honored the memory] of the holy martyrs Januarius, Bishop of Beneventum, Festus his deacon , and Desiderius lector , together with Sossius deacon of the church of Misenum , Proculus, deacon of Pozzuoli , Eutyches and Acutius, who after chains and imprisonment were beheaded under the Emperor Diocletian ".
Legends about his life and death
According to various Christian legends, Januarius was allegedly born in Benevento to a rich patrician family that traced its descent to the Caudini tribe of the Samnites . At a young age of 15, he became local priest of his parish in Benevento, which at the time was relatively pagan . When Januarius was 20, he became Bishop of Naples and befriended Juliana of Nicomedia and Saint Sossius whom he met during his priestly studies. During the one and a half year-long persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian he hid his fellow Christians and prevented them from being caught. Unfortunately, while visiting Sossius in jail, he too was arrested. He and his colleagues were condemned to be thrown to wild bears in the Flavian Amphitheater at Pozzuoli , but the sentence was changed due to fear of public disturbances, and they were instead beheaded at the Solfatara crater near Pozzuoli. Other legends state either that the wild beasts refused to eat them, or that he was thrown into a furnace but came out unscathed.
Relics
According to an early hagiography , his relics were transferred by order of Saint Severus , Bishop of Naples , to the Neapolitan catacombs "extra moenia ," "outside the walls". In the early tenth century the body was moved to Beneventum by Sico, prince of Benevento , with the head remaining in Naples. Subsequently, during the turmoil at the time of Frederick Barbarossa , his body was moved again, this time to the Abbey of Montevergine where it was rediscovered in 1480.
At the instigation of Cardinal Oliviero Carafa , his body was finally transferred in 1497 to Naples , where he is the city's patron saint . Carafa commissioned a richly decorated crypt , the Succorpo, beneath the cathedral to house the reunited body and head properly. The "Succorpo" was finished in 1506 and is considered one of the prominent monuments of the High Renaissance in the city.
Celebrations
Saint Januarius' feast day is celebrated on September 19, in the calendar of the Catholic Church. In the Eastern Church it is celebrated on April 21. The city of Naples has more than fifty official patron saints , although its principal patron is Saint Januarius. .
For the Italian population of Little Italy, Manhattan , and other New Yorkers, the Feast of San Gennaro is a highlight of the year, when the saint's polychrome statue is carried through the streets and a blocks-long street fair ensues.
The Blood Miracle
Saint Januarius is famous for the reputed miracle of the annual liquefaction of his blood , which, according to legend, was saved by a woman called Eusebia just after the saint's death. Thousands of people assemble to witness this event in Naples Cathedral three times a year: on September 19 (Saint Januarius day, to commemorate his martyrdom), on December 16 (to celebrate his patronage of both Naples and of the archdiocese), and on the Saturday before the first Sunday of May (to commemorate the reunification of his relics).
Description of the ritual
The dried blood is stored in two hermetically sealed small ampoules , held since the 17th century in a silver reliquary between two round glass plates about 12 cm wide. The smaller ampoule, of cylindrical shape, contains only a few reddish spots on its walls (the bulk having allegedly been removed and taken to Spain by Charles III ). The larger ampoule, with capacity of about 60 ml and almond-shaped, is about 60% filled with a dark reddish substance. Separate reliquaries hold bone fragments believed to be of Saint Januarius.
For most of the time, the ampoules are kept in a bank vault, whose keys are held by a commission of local notables, including the Mayor of Naples; while the bones are kept in a crypt under the main altar of Naples Cathedral. On feast days, all these relics are taken in procession from the cathedral to the Monastery of Santa Chiara , where the archbishop holds the reliquary up and tilts it to show that the contents are solid, and places it on the high altar next to the saint's other relics. After intense prayers by the faithful, including the so-called "relatives of Saint Januarius" (parenti di San Gennaro), the content of the larger vial typically liquefies. The archbishop then holds up the vial and tilts it again to demonstrate that liquefaction has taken place. The announcement of the liquefaction is greeted with a 21-gun salute at the 13th-century Castel Nuovo . The ampoules remain exposed on the altar for eight days, while the priests move or turn them periodically to show that the contents remain liquid.
The liquefaction sometimes takes place almost immediately, but can take hours or even days.
A chronicle of Naples written in 1382 describes the cult of Saint Januarius in detail, but mentions neither the relic nor the miracle. The first recorded reference to the 'miracle of the blood' was in 1389. .
Catholic Church's position
While the Catholic Church has always supported the celebrations, it has never formulated an official statement on the phenomenon, and maintains a neutral stance about scientific investigations. [citation needed ] After the II Vatican Council , it even considered removing Saint Januarius (together with other saints of uncertain historicity) from the liturgical calendar, but popular pressure made it retain the saint's veneration as a local cult.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori wrote regarding Saint Januarius:
"The Neapolitans honor this saint as the principal patron of their city and nation, and the Lord himself has continued to honor him, by allowing many miracles to be wrought through his intercession, particularly when the frightful eruptions of Mount Vesuvius have threatened the city of Naples with utter destruction. While the relics of St. Januarius were being brought in procession towards this terrific volcano, the torrents of lava and liquid fire which it emitted have ceased, or turned their course from the city. But the most stupendous miracle, and that which is greatly celebrated in the church, is the liquefying and boiling up of this blessed martyr's blood whenever the vials are brought in sight of his head. This miracle is renewed many times in the year, in presence of all who desire to witness it; yet some heretics have endeavored to throw a doubt upon its genuineness, by frivolous and incoherent explanations; but no one can deny the effect to be miraculous, unless he be prepared to question the evidence of his senses."
John Henry Cardinal Newman also attested to the veracity of the miracle of liquefaction:
"I think it impossible to withstand the evidence which is brought for the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januariu
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