Our Lady of the Snow, FEAST OF (“Dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Nives”), a feast celebrated on August 5 to commemorate the dedication of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. The church was originally built by Pope Liberius (352-366) and was called after him “Basilica Liberii” or “Liberiana”. It was restored by Pope Sixtus III (432-440) and dedicated to Our Lady. From that time on it was known as “Basilica S. Mariae” or “Mariae Majoris”; since the seventh century it was known also as “Maria ad Praesepe”. The appellation “ad Nives” (of the snow) originated a few hundred years later, as did also the legend which gave this name to the church. The legend runs thus: During the pontificate of Liberius, the Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to Our Lady. They prayed her that she might make known to them in what manner they were to dispose of their property in her honor. On August 5, during the night, snow fell on the summit of the Esquiline Hill and, in obedience to a vision which they had the same night, they built a basilica, in honor of Our Lady, on the spot which was covered with snow. From the fact that no mention whatever is made of this alleged miracle until a few hundred years later, not even by Sixtus III in his eight-lined dedicatory inscription