Hey, I’m from Vegas too!
But, back to the subject at hand.
As the good Doc before you, you do not directly answer the question as stated. I do not deny that Catholics have a great reverence for Mary, I do not deny that many of our practices outside of the Mass are focused on her and her example to us of the perfect disciple of Christ. She is what she is because He is who He is. It’s that simple. Just as with each and every Christian, we are not saved without Him.
Now the word “equally” seems to have come into play in this thread and non-Catholics would like others to believe that Catholics teach that Mary is “equal” to Christ. Not true and there is nothing in Catholic doctrine that you can argue here that says otherwise.
What Catholics believe is that because of Jesus, His life, His death and His resurrection, we are sharers in His divinity and His sonship. We too are heirs to the Kingdom of God and will one day enjoy the glorious reward of heaven.
Mary is equal to Jesus only in that she is a daughter of God, adopted by the blood of Christ and shares in the reward of eternal life in heaven with God. She is what every Christian should aspire to.
That statement flies in the face of Christ...who said we are to follow Him..not His mother.