San Gennaro is one of 52 Patron Saints of the city of Naples.
What with Vesuvius erupting multiple times, foreign armies invading and occupying it, pestilences and famines, bombings, Naples has been through a lot, so it needs as much spiritual protection as it can get.
San Gennaro is its most famous protector. He was beheaded by Romans for upholding his religion, his blood was somehow collected by early Christians upon his execution.
On the anniversary of his death, his clotted blood liquifies and this is considered a Miracle. When the Saint doesn't perform the Miracle, it is considered a bad omen. We might be expecting an earthquake, an eruption, war nearby, some major calamity.
I went to the Cathedral to see if the Miracle had happened this year (19 September 2024), and it had.
The video shows mass and holy communion taking place just after the Miracle, besides some of the artwork in the church.
Besides this, at the end of the video, I give Mark Twain's version, because he visited the city in the 1800s (read his book 'Innocents abroad'). He states that the Miracle was performed over three consecutive days, with people from the church collecting donations, less each day, and the Miracle, consequently happening faster (as if motivated by the donations rather than faith and prayer).
Do you think he was right?

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