The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-06-21
A MIRACLE IN NAPLES.
cf the blood of San Gcnarro--
A great Rumbuq.

A great Hunabug.
Learning that the semiannual miracle of the
! iquefaction of the blood of San Genarro was to
take place on Saturday, being the last day of its
eighth repetition repaired at an early hour in
the morning to the church of Santa Restituta, anG
SO great was the crowd that it was with difficulty
we could gain an entrance. The ceremony OF
lquefacton is the greatest religious festival in the
| Kingdom and such is the Importance attached to
it by the ardent imag nations of the Neapolitans,
that all the conquerors of the city have considered
it necessary piece of State policy to respect it.
Before proceeding to give account of the
ceremony, l will explain what is meant by the
iquefaction. In the right aisle of the Cathedral
of Santa Restituta, is the chapel of San Genarro,
in which are preserved two phials said to contain
the blood ofthe saint. The ceremony ofliqueiaction
takes place twice in the year, and is each time
repeated for eight successive days The tradition
| of the church represents that when St. Janarius
was exposed to be devoured by lions in the
amphitheatre of Pozsuoli, the animals prostrated
themselves before him and became tame This
miracle is said to have converted so many to
Christianity, that Dracontus ordered the Saint to
be decapitated, which sentence was executed at
Saatara in the year SO5. The body was buried
at Pozzuoli until the time of Constantine, when it
was removed to Naples and deposited in the church
of San Genarro. At the time of this removal a
woman who is said to have collected the blood with
sponge at the period Of the martyrdoni, took it
in two bottles to ST. Severus the bishop, in whose
hands it was said to have Immediately melted.
The iron tabernacle which contains the rhials is
secured by two bolts, key being kept by the
municipal authorities, and the other by the
archbishop, and is only opened in the presence of
the people.
The ceremony of the liqueiaction commenced
on Saturday in the church Of Santa Chiara, from
whence after mass immense procession with
bands of music, choristers, bishops, priests and
soldiers bearing crucifxcs, banners and candles,
proceeded with the phias of blood to the cathedral
At the Cathedral, some time before the cere-
monies commenced, number of old women, of
the lower orders, who claim to be the relations of
Saint Janarius, collected around the balustrade of
the altar exhibiting the wild and uncomfortable
excitement Some of these women were very old,
and exhibiting countenances shrivelled and wrinkled
beyond anything in the form of humanity / have
ever seen.
The relics were exposed in one of the side
chapels, called the Chapel of St. Genarro, which
was magnifcenty decorated, the alter being
brilliant with gold ornaments and diamonds and
precious stones The face of the alter is of massive
silver, cut in statutes of basrelief representing
the history of Cardinal Carafo's bringing back the
head of the Saint to Naples. All the dukes and
princes were also present in the robes of royalty;
and soldiers with muskets and bayonets, were
scattered throughout the immense edfce their
plumes waving over the heads Of the people in
every direction. The Saints head with a rich
mittre upon tit being fixed to the statue of the
Saint-with archbishop's mantle about the
shoulders of the statue and rich collar of diamonds
and cross about the neck, was the first sight that
attracted my attention. The bottles containing
the blood one of which appeared like pitch clotted
and hard In the glass, were then shown to the
people and turned upside down to show that the
blood in it was hard and insoluble. They were
then placed on one side of the alter one appearing
like smelling bottle and only had mere stain
of blood whilst the other was larger, and seemed
to hold enough to fill a wine glass. They were
shown to the persons admitted within the balustrade
among whom were a considerable number of
English Protestants After being placed on the
altar glass was put over them through which
they could be seen by all present.
A series of masses then commenced, at the
conclusion of each of which the old women set up
a most fearful and unearthly howl, the drums and
trumpets joined in the dscordaat blast, and it was
difficult to imagine such a horrible clamor to be
intended for Christian worship. They, however,
seemed almost frantic with religious fervor as did
also the priests and large portion Of the people
present, the cries, screams and sobbing peryading
every part of the edifce. These Masses were
continued from o'clock i'll the morning until 5
o'clock in the afternoon without cessation, except
for another procession in the afternoon, during
which thirty fl, large, solid silver statues of saints
and martyrs were carried by the soldiers. At the
conclusion of the procession the Masses again
resumed with all the Accomplishments ofexcitement
aud clamor that prevailed in the morning, without
the desired lquefacton of the blood taking place.
At o'clock, however, the glass was again removed
from the bottles, and the blood in the larger one
found to be as linpid as water; and was shown
to the people amid the greatest rejoicing, the
beating of drums, the clappug of hands aud the
blasts of trumpets. The old women were perfectly
wild with excitement, and many of them fell
down exhausted, while the roar of cannon from the
Castle of Almo announced to the people that the
miracle consummated.
Whenever there was any number of English or
Americans in the Cathedral during the ceremony,
soldiers stationed them, with special in
structions to allow no one to molest them. This
rather surprised me; but on inquiry l found that
on several occasions, when the lquefacton has not
taken place as soon as anticipated, the ignor-
mt portion of the people had attacked them, under
the belief that that :he presence of heretics had
prevented the early accomplishment of the mir
acle.-AaPles Cor. Baltimore Ap,erican.
An 1rishman observing dandy taking his usual
struts in Broadway, stepped up to him and in