Jesus said He is the way,so what’s with all these Hail Mary’s?
Catholics believe Christ is the way- the only way. We say the Hail Mary to honor Christ’s mother, repeat the words an angel said to her as recorded in the Gospels, and ask her to strengthen us and help us (especially at the hour of our death). We believe she is special to Christ and that He pays special attention to her requests (as He did at the wedding feast at Cana). We say the Hail Mary to ask her to join her prayers with ours as we bring them before her Son.