September 20, 2023

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The blood of the martyr Saint Januarius again liquefied in Naples on Tuesday. The declaration that the miracle had again taken place was made at the start of Mass by Abbot Vincenzo De Gregorio. The archbishop of Naples, Domenico Battaglia, held the relic of the blood, moving the glass ampoules to demonstrate the liquid state of the blood to the sounds of strong applause, while the deputy of the wisdom of the people waved a white cloth. Saint Januarius is a bishop, martyr, and patron saint of Naples, Italy. Traditionally, on September 19 and on two other occasions a year, his blood, which is kept in a glass ampoule in the shape of a rounded cruet, liquifies. It is believed the miracle has taken place since at least 1389, the first instance on record. The liquefaction process sometimes takes hours or even days, and sometimes it does not happen at all. In local lore, the failure of the blood to liquefy signals war, famine, disease, or other disaster. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255410/blood-of-st-januarius-completely-liquefied-on-feast-day The United States Catholic bishops are calling on the faithful to embrace “radical solidarity” with mothers who are facing difficult or challenging pregnancies this October, which the Church in the United States has observed as “Respect Life Month” since 1973. Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge, the chairman of the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities, echoed Saint John Paul II’s call for “radical solidarity,” which means, according to the bishop, “putting our love for them into action and putting their needs before our own.” The “Walking with Moms in Need” parish-based initiatives, which help parishes become welcoming places for mothers facing difficulties, are a possible option to get involved. https://www.catho