Most Holy Name of Mary, Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, or simply Holy Name of Mary is a feast in the Roman Catholic Church which is celebrated on September 12. It was made a universal feast by Blessed Pope Innocent XI to commemorate victory over the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The feast celebrates the name of Mary (mother of Jesus).
History
The feast was only a local one at its inception in 1513, when it was instituted in Cuenca, Spain. It was initially celebrated on September 15. In 1587 Pope Sixtus V moved the celebration to September 17. Pope Gregory XV extended the celebration to the Archdiocese of Toledo in 1622. In 1671 the feast was extended to the whole of Spain. After the victory of the Christians, lead by King John III Sobieski of Poland, over the Turks in the Battle of Vienna in 1683, the feast was extended to the whole Church by Pope Innocent XI, and assigned to the Sunday after the Nativity of Mary. Before the battle King John had placed his troops under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the battle Pope Innocent XI, wishing to honor Mary, extended the feast to the entire Church. With the revision of the universal calendar after the Second Vatican Council, the date was set on September 12. It is no longer celebrated on the Sunday after the Nativity of Mary.
