00:01January, or San Gennaro as the Neapolitans fervently call him, was Bishop of Benevento, at a time when the
00:08Christian faith was a death sentence.
00:11It was the end of the 3rd century, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, and the persecution against Christians was underway.
00:18raged, relentless.
00:22January did not hesitate to defend his faith. Arrested along with his companions, the deacons Sosius, Festus, and Desiderius, thus
00:31like other Christians, he was thrown into prison.
00:35The Roman authorities, determined to break the spirit of the Christians, condemned them to be thrown to wild beasts in the
00:43'Pouzolles amphitheater.
00:45But, incredibly, the beasts, against all expectations, refused to attack the martyrs, content to remain harmless to them.
00:57feet.
00:58This visible miracle only further enraged the persecutors.
01:03The governor then ordered their beheading.
01:06January and his companions were executed near Pouzolles, around the year 305, offering their lives as the ultimate testimony of
01:17their unwavering faith.
01:20Today, January of Naples is much more than a distant martyr.
01:25He is the patron saint of Naples, and his cult is the beating heart of the city.
01:32What makes him unique and so revered is the miracle of the liquefaction of his blood.
01:39Preserved in a glass vial, his dried blood, collected after his death, miraculously liquefies several times a year.
01:49particularly on September 19th, his feast day.
01:53For the Neapolitans, this marvel is not a mere curiosity, it is a powerful sign of the protection of the
02:00saint on their city.
02:03Its liquefaction is a good omen, a guarantee of prosperity and security.
02:10If the blood does not liquefy, it is a worrying sign, a harbinger of misfortune.
02:17January of Naples embodies perseverance in the face of adversity and the strength of faith.
02:25Her story reminds us that even in the darkest times, hope and divine protection can be found.
02:33manifest in extraordinary ways.
02:35A living link between heaven and earth, pulsing to the rhythm of the prayers of an entire city.
02:48Subtitling by Radio-Canada
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