The Most Holy Name of Mary

Just as the Church honors the Holy Name of Jesus, it also honors the name of his mother, Mary, in Hebrew Miriam. Devotion to her name grew through the Middle Ages, and a feast in its honor was first approved in 1513 for the diocese of Cuenca in Spain. Spanish-speaking lands embraced it warmly, and many girls received the name "Dulce Nombre de María."

In 1683 the Ottoman army besieged Vienna. Christian forces under the Polish king John III Sobieski, who had placed the campaign under Mary's protection, broke the siege on September 12. In thanksgiving, Pope Innocent XI extended the feast to the whole Church. It was removed from the general calendar in 1969, but Saint John Paul II restored it in 2002 as an optional memorial, inviting the faithful to call on Mary's name with trust.

In Spain and Latin America many parishes and towns are dedicated to the Dulce Nombre de María, and the day is marked with Masses, processions and the singing of Marian hymns.

Many Catholics use the day to pray the Hail Mary slowly, reflecting on the name of Mary, or to give thanks for the women in their family who carry her name.