Hieromartyr
Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento
III век — †ок. 305
Also known as: Ианнуарий Беневентский, Путеольский, Сан-Дженнаро, San Gennaro
Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento (St. Gennaro) — suffered together with six fellow martyrs (deacons Proculus, Sosius, and Faustus, reader Desiderius, laymen Eutychius and Acutius) during the Diocletianic persecution around 305 in Puteoli; he survived a red-hot furnace and wild beasts in the arena, but was beheaded; he is venerated in Naples with an annual miracle of blood liquefaction.
The Hieromartyr Januarius was bishop of the city of Benevento in Campania (Italy). During the persecution of Emperor Diocletian (c. 305), he was seized and brought to trial before the governor of Campania, Timothy (Meningius). For refusing to renounce Christ, he was thrown into a red-hot furnace but emerged unharmed — like the three youths in the Babylonian furnace (Daniel 3). He was then stretched on a rack and beaten with iron rods until his bones were exposed.
Deacon Faustus and reader Desiderius, who witnessed his sufferings and wept over him, were identified as Christians and imprisoned with him in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli), where they were joined by the previously seized deacons Sosius and Proculus and the laymen Eutychius and Acutius — seven martyrs in all. All were brought to the arena of the amphitheater to be devoured by wild beasts, but the beasts would not touch them; the governor, taking this for sorcery, went blind — through Januarius's prayer his sight was miraculously restored, but even this miracle failed to convince the persecutor. By the judge's sentence, all seven were beheaded outside the walls of Puteoli.
Christians recovered the martyrs' bodies; Naples later obtained Januarius's body together with a vessel of his blood (according to tradition, collected by a certain Eusebia at the moment of execution). The relics and blood are kept in the Naples Cathedral (Duomo di San Gennaro). Since 1389 an annual "miracle of blood liquefaction" has been documented — the dried, dark mass in the sealed vessel becomes liquid, usually three times a year (the Saturday before the first Sunday of May — translation of relics; September 19 — feast day per the Western calendar; December 16 — anniversary of deliverance from the 1631 eruption of Vesuvius); failure to liquefy is popularly regarded as an ill omen.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE COMMEMORATION DATE: the Orthodox commemoration (April 21/May 4) differs noticeably from the Western (Catholic) date of September 19 — both dates are honestly given.