St. Januarius, San Gennaro in Italian, was a bishop of Benevento martyred near Naples around the year 305, and he is the beloved patron saint of Naples. He is famous around the world because a glass vial said to hold his dried blood, kept in the cathedral of Naples, has for centuries been seen to turn liquid on certain days of the year, most famously on his feast, September 19, before crowds of the faithful. Below are his story, the facts about the liquefaction, the San Gennaro festivals, and prayers to St. Januarius.
A short prayer to St. Januarius, written for this page:
St. Januarius, you shed your blood for Christ and have watched over Naples for centuries.
Pray for the people of Naples and for all Italian families,
protect us from disaster, and make us faithful to the end. Amen.
Who was St. Januarius?
Little is known for certain about his life. According to tradition, Januarius was bishop of Benevento, in southern Italy, during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian. When his deacon Sossius and other Christians were imprisoned at Pozzuoli, near Naples, Januarius visited them and was arrested in turn. Thrown to wild beasts, he was not harmed, and he was beheaded with his companions near Pozzuoli around 305. His relics were brought to Naples, and he became the city’s principal patron.
The Church has always honored the martyrs (Psalm 115:15, Douay-Rheims; Psalm 116 in other numberings):
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
The liquefaction of the blood
In the chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro in Naples Cathedral, a reliquary holds two small sealed glass vials containing a dark, solid substance said to be the saint’s blood. Several times a year the archbishop holds the reliquary before the people, often near the saint’s relics, and after minutes, hours or sometimes days of prayer the substance turns red and liquid, and sometimes bubbles. The first recorded liquefaction dates from 1389.
It is usually expected on three occasions:
- The Saturday before the first Sunday of May, recalling the translation of his relics to Naples
- September 19, his feast day
- December 16, the anniversary of his protection of Naples during the eruption of Vesuvius in 1631
When the blood fails to liquefy, many Neapolitans take it as a bad omen. The Church has never formally declared the liquefaction a miracle; it allows and encourages the popular devotion, which it treats as a prodigy and a sign of faith, while scientists continue to debate its cause.
San Gennaro festivals
Naples celebrates its patron with great solemnity. In New York City, Italian immigrants began the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy in 1926, and it has grown into one of the largest street festivals in the United States, held every September on Mulberry Street.
What is St. Januarius the patron saint of?
- Naples and the region of Campania
- Blood banks and blood donors
- Protection from volcanic eruptions, especially of Vesuvius
Feast day
The optional memorial of St. Januarius, bishop and martyr, is September 19.
Frequently asked questions
What is the miracle of San Gennaro?
The dried blood of St. Januarius, kept in a sealed vial in Naples, turns liquid on certain days, especially September 19. The Church has not formally declared it a miracle but encourages the devotion.
When does the blood of St. Januarius liquefy?
Usually on the Saturday before the first Sunday of May, on September 19 and on December 16.
Is San Gennaro the same as St. Januarius?
Yes. Gennaro is the Italian form of Januarius.
More saints
- Patron saints of countries
- St. Lawrence prayer
- St. Sebastian prayer
- Patron saint of New York City
- Patron saint of the weather
- Saint of the day
Texts and sources
- Psalm 115:15 (Douay-Rheims).