Roman Catholic devotions are "external practices of piety" which are not part of the official liturgy of the Catholic Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. Catholic devotions do not become part of liturgical worship, even if they are performed within a Catholic church, in a group, in the presence of a priest. The
Congregation for Divine Worship at the Vatican publishes a
Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
Devotion to saints, with the
Virgin Mary as the most prominent example, is a key characteristic of Roman Catholicism. Catholic devotions have various forms, ranging from formalized, multi-day prayers such as
novenas to activities that do not involve any prayers, such as
Eucharistic adoration outside Mass, the wearing of
scapulars, the veneration of the saints, and even horticultural practices such as maintaining a
Mary garden.