Young people are constantly searching for answers, but are sometimes afraid to ask the questions! This page is meant to give you a place to ask questions about your Catholic faith without having to worry about sounding silly.

If you have a question, send an email to k.bohli@arlingtondiocese.org

We will post your question, with a response, but will only list your first name (allowing you to remain anonymous).

Question: Do Catholics worship Mary? (Brian)

Answer: No. Catholics do not worship Mary. The proper terminology would be that Catholics "venerate and honor" her. In the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:28, 30), the angel says, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." Then in verse 42, Elizabeth calls her "blessed among women". Scripture shows that Mary is to be honored for her role in salvation history.

Keep in mind that God honored Mary above all others by making her the mother of His Son. Shouldn't we also honor the mother of our Savior?

Catholics do pray to Mary, or more accurately, we ask for Mary's intercession. James 5:16 says, "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." We believe that Mary is in heaven with Jesus, and is able to speak to Him about the things that we pray for.