NAME OF MARY, FEAST OF. — Currently on 12 September, a greater double. It originated in Spain through a concession for the diocese of Cuenca in 1513, under Julius II. Other Spanish dioceses followed its example, but s. 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 entire world, by Innocent XI, in commemoration of Sobieski’s victory over the Turks at Vienna.
It was to be celebrated as a greater double on the Sunday within the octave of the Nativity of Mary (S. Rituum Congr., Decreta, ann. 1683-84, p. 106). On 4 December 1683 and 5 February 1684, the texts for the Roman Martyrology, the Mass, and the Office were approved (ibid., pp. 127-33). The earlier concessions, both as regards the date (17 September) and the liturgical formulas, were explicitly revoked (17 June 1684; ibid., p. 173), while, at the request of Leopold I, the feast was raised to a double of the 2nd class throughout the Holy Roman Empire and the dominions of the House of Austria (1 August 1684; ibid., p. 192). Pius X, in 1911-12, transferred the feast to the historical date, 12 September. It should be noted that the earliest celebrations preferred the date of 22 September, on the belief that the Jews imposed the name on female children 15 days after birth (Nativity of Mary: 8 September–22 September; imposition of the name: 15th day). In Rome, the memory of the memorable victory at Vienna is linked to the confraternity of the N. di M., founded near S. Stefano del Cacco in 1688, which took an active part in the gathering of prayers requested by Innocent XI. He raised it to the status of an archconfraternity (1688), enrolling himself as its first brother (1689, 16 May). Meanwhile, the confraternity had moved to the church of S. Bernardo at Trajan’s Column, which soon became too small and was replaced by the present church of the N. di M. (1738-42), where various precious mementos of this great victory are still preserved.