Is praying to Mary and the saints necessary?

[Primrose]

I am attracted to the Catholic faith and the more I learn the more I realise how ignorant I’ve been. I’ve been a ‘born-again’ Christian for 6 years but I’m finding the catholic TV channel EWTN has opened me up to God might be wanting me to become Catholic. One thing that my Christian friends say that the praying to mary and the saints is agains what is written in deuteronomy. I might have got this wrong but my understanding is the soul isn’t dead and praying to the saints is really asking for intecessors? I do have a relationship with the Lord and I pray to Him regularly. If I became a Catholic would I HAVE to pray to mary and the saints?

Many thanks
Primrose

 

[Reginald_Plum]

Primrose,

These links should be helpful for understanding why we pray to Mary and the saints and the role it plays in our Catholic faith. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please contact Catholic Answers directly.

Recommended Reading:
The Intercession of the Saints by the Early Church Fathers
Praying to the Saints
Saint Worship?
What happens to us between death and judgment day?

Why Mary?
When do I pray to our Lord and when to Mary and the saints?
Should I pray directly to Jesus?
May Christians pray only to God alone?
Communicating with Saints to intercede for us