Catholic Prayers & Devotions Index

Catholic Prayers & Devotions Index

Welcome to our library of traditional Catholic prayers. Here you will find the prayers the Church has handed down for centuries: the basic prayers every Catholic learns by heart, prayers for Mass and Confession, prayers to Our Lady and the saints, litanies, novenas, and the prayers of the saints themselves.

The prayers are arranged by topic. Choose a section below, or scroll down to browse all 294 prayers. Some prayers appear in more than one section so they are easy to find. New to praying? Start with the Essential Catholic Prayers.

Need a saint for a particular need? See Patron Saints for Every Need.

Jump to a section:

Essential Catholic Prayers

The prayers every Catholic learns by heart. If you are just starting to pray, start here.

The Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Morning and Evening Prayers

Begin and end each day with God.

Mass, Holy Communion, and the Eucharist

Prayers to prepare for Mass, to receive Jesus worthily, and to give thanks afterward.

Confession and Repentance

Prayers to examine your conscience, make a good confession, and give thanks for God's mercy.

Prayers to Jesus and His Sacred Heart

Prayers to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Trinity

Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayers to St. Joseph

Prayers to the Angels and Saints

The saints and angels are alive in Christ and pray for us. These prayers ask for their help.

Not sure which saint to ask? Find the patron saint for your need in Patron Saints for Every Need.

Prayers for the Church, the World, and the People You Love

Prayers for Students, Teachers, and Work

Trust, Surrender, and Hard Times

Prayers for when you are anxious, struggling, or need to place everything in God's hands.

Growing in Holiness

Death and the Faithful Departed

Prayers for a holy death and for those who have died.

Litanies, Novenas, Psalms, and Hymns

For Priests, Seminarians, and Vocations

What Is Prayer? Prayer, Worship, and the Saints

Prayer is lifting up the heart and mind to God. We pray to praise Him, to thank Him, to ask His forgiveness, and to ask for what we need, for ourselves and for others.

The word "pray" originally meant simply "to ask," as in the old English phrase "I pray thee, help me." That is why Catholics can say they "pray to" Mary or the saints without worshiping them. We are asking them to pray for us, just as you might ask a friend at church to pray for you. Scripture tells us to "pray one for another" (James 5:16), and those in heaven are not dead but alive in God, "for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Mark 12:27). This is called intercession.

Worship Belongs to God Alone

Worship, also called adoration or latria, is the highest honor, and it belongs to God alone: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10). The greatest act of Catholic worship is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The honor Catholics give to the saints is called veneration, or dulia. The Blessed Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God, receives the highest honor given to any creature, called hyperdulia, but she is still a creature, not the Creator.

What About Statues, Candles, and Kneeling?

A statue or holy image is a reminder, like a family photo. Kneeling is a posture of prayer and humility, and candles remind us of Christ, the Light of the world, and of the prayers we offer. God Himself commanded images of angels for the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18–22). The question is never whether we use images, but whom we worship, and Catholics worship God alone.

In heaven, St. John saw the prayers of the saints rising before God like incense: "And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel" (Revelation 8:4). When we pray, we join that great family of prayer, on earth and in heaven.

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  • Saints & Feast Days

    Saints & Feast Days

    In the Catholic Church, saints are people who have died in a state of grace and are now in Heaven with God. Some lived visibly holy lives from a young...

    Saints & Feast Days

    In the Catholic Church, saints are people who have died in a state of grace and are now in Heaven with God. Some lived visibly holy lives from a young...

  • Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Feast Day: January 1 A young mother held her newborn Son close. Around her, shepherds spoke excitedly about angels who had appeared in the night. They told Mary and Joseph...

    Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

    Feast Day: January 1 A young mother held her newborn Son close. Around her, shepherds spoke excitedly about angels who had appeared in the night. They told Mary and Joseph...

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