The Most Holy Name of Mary is celebrated on September 12, four days after the Nativity of Mary, just as the Holy Name of Jesus follows Christmas. It honors the name of the Mother of God and the countless graces Christians have received by calling on it. The feast began in Spain in 1513 and spread to the whole Church after the Christian victory over the Ottoman army at Vienna on September 12, 1683. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday, so the memorial is not celebrated at Mass that year. Below are the meaning of Mary’s name, the history of the feast and prayers.
The name of Mary
St. Luke introduces her simply:
And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Mary (in Hebrew Miriam, the name of Moses’ sister) has been given many meanings: “beloved,” “lady,” “exalted,” even “bitter.” St. Jerome explained it as stilla maris, “a drop of the sea,” which copyists turned into stella maris, Star of the Sea, the title that inspired the hymn Ave Maris Stella and made Mary the guide of sailors and of every soul crossing the stormy sea of life.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in a famous homily, urged Christians in every danger and temptation: Respice stellam, voca Mariam, “Look to the star, call upon Mary.”
History of the feast
- 1513: the feast of the Holy Name of Mary was first granted to the diocese of Cuenca in Spain.
- 1683: on September 12, a Christian army led by King John III Sobieski of Poland broke the Ottoman siege of Vienna. Sobieski had placed his army under Mary’s protection, and in thanksgiving Pope Innocent XI extended the feast to the whole Church.
- 1969: the feast was removed from the general calendar as a separate celebration, since the Nativity of Mary already honors her.
- 2002: it was restored as an optional memorial on September 12.
The prayer of the feast
The Collect of the Holy Name of Mary in the traditional Roman Missal:
Grant, we beseech thee, O almighty God, that thy faithful who rejoice under the protection of the most holy name of the Virgin Mary, may by her pious intercession be delivered from every evil on earth and merit to attain the everlasting joys of heaven. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.
A prayer to the Holy Name of Mary
Written for this page:
Mary, your name is sweet to every Christian, a star in the darkness.
In temptation and danger, in sorrow and doubt, I call on you.
Teach me to say your name with love and to trust in your protection,
and lead me always to Jesus, your Son. Amen.
Ways to honor the Holy Name of Mary
- Pray the Hail Mary slowly, pausing at her name. See the Hail Mary.
- Pray the Memorare in any need.
- Bow your head at the name of Mary, as at the name of Jesus, an old custom of reverence.
- Pray for Christians facing persecution, remembering the victory at Vienna.
Frequently asked questions
When is the feast of the Holy Name of Mary?
September 12, an optional memorial. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday.
What does the name Mary mean?
Its meaning is uncertain; suggestions include “beloved,” “lady” and “exalted.” Tradition links it with Stella Maris, “Star of the Sea.”
Why is the feast connected to Vienna?
Because Pope Innocent XI extended it to the whole Church in thanksgiving for the victory of the Christian armies over the Ottoman siege of Vienna on September 12, 1683.
More Marian pages
- Nativity of Mary (September 8)
- Most Holy Name of Jesus
- Ave Maris Stella
- Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15)
- Marian feast days
- Our Lady of Częstochowa
Texts and sources
- Luke 1:26–27 (Douay-Rheims).
- Collect and historical note: The Mass Every Day of the Year (1916 daily missal), September 12, public domain (archive.org). OCR errors corrected.
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Homily II on the Missus est, 17.