Name of Mary, Feast of the

NAME OF MARY, Feast of the. - Currently on September 12, double major. It originated in Spain from a concession for the diocese of Cuenca in 1513, under Julius II. Other Spanish dioceses followed the example, but St. Pius V abolished the feast, which was revived in 1586 by his successor Sixtus V. In 1671 it was extended to all the territories of the crown of Spain and Naples, together with the colonies; and in 1683 to the whole world, by Innocent XI, in commemoration of Sobieski's victory over the Turks at Vienna.

It was to be celebrated as a double major on the Sunday within the octave of the Nativity of Mary (S. Rituum Congr., Decreta, ann. 1683-84, p. 106). On December 4, 1683 and February 5, 1684 the texts for the Roman Martyrology, for the Mass and the Office were approved (ibid., pp. 127-33). The previous concessions, as regards the date (September 17), and as regards the liturgical formulas, were explicitly revoked (June 17, 1684; ibid., p. 173), while, at the request of Leopold I, the feast was raised to a double of the 2nd class for the whole Romano-Germanic Empire and the domains of the house of Austria (August 1, 1684; ibid., p. 192). Pius X, in 1911-12, transferred the feast to the historical date, September 12. It should be noted that the earliest celebrations preferred the date of September 22, in the belief that the Jews imposed the name on females 15 days after birth (Nativity of Mary: September 8 - September 22, imposition of the name: 15th day). In Rome the memory of the memorable victory of Vienna is linked to the confraternity of the N. of M., founded at S. Stefano del Cacco in 1688, which took an active part in the prayers instituted by Innocent XI. The latter raised it to an archconfraternity (1688), enrolling himself as its first brother (May 16, 1689). Meanwhile the confraternity had moved to the church of S. Bernardo at the Colonna Traiana, which soon became too small and was replaced by the present church of the N. of M. (1738-42), in which various precious relics of this great victory are still preserved.

Giuseppe Löw