Saint Januarius
Januarius was a bishop of Benevento in the later part of the third century. According to Neapolitan tradition, he was taken prisoner at Nola during the persecution of Christians by Diocletian. He was martyred at Pozzuoli, where many Christians suffered the same fate. The body and head of Januarius were preserved in the cathedral at Naples and two phials were supposed to contain his blood. On three days he is recognized each year: September 19 remembers his martyrdom and is his feast day, and the others are the first Sunday evening in May and December 16. He is also recognized on occasions of public danger or calamity, such as earthquakes or eruptions. At these times his relics are carried to the high altar of the cathedral. (Brockhampton Reference, 1996)