Like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…

And if Dean Martin singing, while you munch a cannoli on the streets of Little Italy, is your idea of the San Gennaro Festival, Deacon Tony is setting the record straight about where this festival originated:

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Januarius, more commonly known as St. Gennaro. His name is most associated with a traditional street feast held annually here in New York. Tourists as well as home town natives, especially Italians are quite fascinated with the 11 day festival that is held in “Little Italy”(Mulberry St.) near the church of the Most Precious Blood (aka Church of San Gennaro).

But there is more to San Gennaro than festivals, cannolis and zeppoles. When immigrant Italians (Neapolitans) settled there in the early part of the 20th century, their custom of honoring San Gennaro was quickly adapted in their new home land and has been celebrated continously for 80 years.

San Gennaro never made headlines during his lifetime. Very little is known about him except that he was bishop of Benevento, Italy, and died a martyr in 305 A.D., during the persecution spearheaded by Emperor Diocletian.

Actually, the zealous prelate seems to have signed his death warrant when he risked the wrath of local pagan officials by visiting the deacons Sosso and Proculo and the laymen Eutichete and Acuzio in jail. The warden observing this stranger trying to comfort the Christian prisoners naturally concluded that he must be a Christian. Therefore he too must be shut up behind bars.

Shortly afterwards, the proconsul Timothy had Gennaro arrested and clapped into jail. Subsequently he underwent various forms of torture, without wavering in resolution to remain loyal to Christ.

The proconsul’s agents then had the generous confessor of the faith thrown headlong into a furnace, fully convinced that the flames would reduce him to ashes. By the grace of God he came through unscathed. Furious, the agents gave themselves no rest until their victim had been sentenced to be beheaded.”

Twice a year in Naples (September and May), vials holding the solidified blood of the saint are publicly shown. As the faithful gather, process and pray, they eagerly wait for the liquefaction of the Saint’s blood to occur. Tradition holds, If the blood does not liquefy, Naples will experience a catastrophic event in the coming months.

You can also find out more about the festival right here.