General Catholic
Do Catholics worship Mary?
No — Catholics give Mary the highest veneration (hyperdulia) as Mother of God, but worship (latria) is reserved for God alone; devotion to Mary always points to and glorifies her Son.
Catholic teaching
Mary is honored because of her unique role in salvation history as the Mother of God who said yes to the Incarnation; this honor is categorically different from divine worship and always draws the faithful closer to Christ, as she herself said, 'Do whatever he tells you.'
Biblical foundation
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, calls Mary 'the mother of my Lord' and blessed among women (Luke 1:42-43), and Mary herself prophesies 'all generations will call me blessed' (Luke 1:48), which Catholic devotion simply fulfills.
Scripture references
Historical evidence
The earliest known prayer to Mary, the Sub Tuum Praesidium, dates from the third century, showing Marian devotion was already widespread among Christians centuries before medieval Europe.
The Church Fathers
“Most holy Lady, Mother of God, alone most pure in soul and body, alone exceeding all purity.”