The liquefaction of the coagulated blood, which is kept in two small ampuls, occurred after 10 a.m. in the presence of Cardinal Michele Giordano.
The miracle of St. Januarius´ blood can occur three times a year: on Sept. 19, his feast day; on the first weekend in May; and on Dec. 16, the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631, which, according to tradition, ended after the faithful prayed to the city´s patron.
St. Januarius, bishop of Benevento, Italy, was martyred in 305.
Some children who visited the cathedral today left letters praying to God for peace in the world, and for the victims of the attacks on the United States.
