The miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius, patron saint of the Italian city of Naples, occurred again on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
According to the Archdiocese of Naples, the miracle took place after Mass in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius on the feast of the patronage of St. Januarius.
“At 9:13 a.m. local time, the blood already appeared semi-liquid. At 10:05 a.m., the complete liquefaction was announced,” the archdiocese reported.
“Dec. 16 is the third of three annual celebrations in honor of the martyred saint. This date commemorates the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631, when the Neapolitans requested and obtained the miraculous intervention of St. Januarius to prevent the lava from engulfing the city,” he explained.
The announcement of the miracle was made by Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio, abbot of the Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius. The phial, once the miracle had occurred, was carried in procession to the chapel so that all those present could see it.
The miracle usually occurs on two other days of the year: every Sept. 19 (the anniversary of St. Januarius’ martyrdom) and the Saturday before the first Sunday of May (in remembrance of the transfer of his remains to Naples).
When the blood does not liquefy, as happened on Dec. 16, 2020, the inhabitants of Naples usually take it as a bad omen. However, in the face of this possibility, the Church encourages the faithful not to lose sight of what is essential.
On Sept. 19, 2024 — despite the miracle having occurred that day — the archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, urged the faithful not to place their hope in physical manifestations but in Jesus, who calls us to care for the most vulnerable.
“I implore you, we should not worry about whether the blood of this relic liquefies or not, but rather we should worry about whether the blood of the dispossessed, the marginalized, the least fortunate, and the innocent is flowing in our streets and in our world,” the cardinal said.
“The blood of Bishop Januarius, let us never forget, always points to the blood of Christ, both the blood of Christ himself and the blood of the poor and the least fortunate in whom Christ lives,” he added.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
