Holy Name of Mary

Introduction

The Power of Mary’s Name: A Sign of Trust and Victory

In 1683, at Vienna, King John III Sobieski of Poland led the Christian armies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to a decisive victory over Ottoman forces. Before marching into battle, he entrusted his troops to the Blessed Virgin Mary, having prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Pope Innocent XI, grateful for this victory, extended the feast of the Holy Name of Mary to the universal Church the following year.

Devotion to Mary’s name did not begin on the battlefield. From the early centuries of Christianity, the faithful honored the Mother of God by name. The Council of Ephesus in 431 solemnly affirmed her as Theotokos—God-Bearer. By the sixth century, the words of the angel, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” had become a cherished prayer. By the fourteenth century, the invocation, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death,” was firmly in use. Finally, the Catechism of the Council of Trent presented the full Hail Mary to the faithful as we know it today.

Providence has also marked the date of this feast. September 12 falls just four days after the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8, echoing the ancient custom of naming a newborn daughter soon after birth. In parallel, the Church honours the Holy Name of Jesus on January 3, within the Christmas season. Only Jesus and Mary are given this singular liturgical recognition, underscoring the power and reverence attached to their names.

Names matter. They identify, dignify, and make personal our relationships. To call upon the name of Jesus is to place ourselves in His saving presence. To call upon the name of Mary is to seek the loving intercession of a mother who never fails her children. Her name has been invoked by kings and soldiers, saints and sinners, councils and popes.

As we celebrate the Holy Name of Mary, we are invited to place our trust in her intercession with the same confidence as generations before us. In whispering her name, we are not simply uttering a title—we are entering into a relationship with a mother who leads us to her Son. Let us call upon her with faith, knowing that her name is a source of comfort, protection, and grace.