Thinking of Latin is not really relevant. Historically - including the early 1900s - Latin was not spoken in the modern Italianate way, but with the local 'vulgar' pronunciation i.e. as if written in the local language. In England, Maria (Latin) would have sounded the same as Maria (English): Mar-EYE-a as above, or even just 'Mary'. I'm not a Roman Catholic myself, so can't swear to this as common practice, but do recall older Irish priests in the 1960s who said 'EY-vee Mary' for Ave Maria.