Why do Catholics pray to honor saints?

Catholic AnswerBecause of the Communion of Saints, which we profess belief in the Creed "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints...." They are our elder brothers and sisters who have "won the race" (see 2 Timothy 4:7) and are now standing before the face of God interceding for us. As Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, stands before God interceding for us, He makes all intercession possible and they are now with Him interceding for us. We honor them as they have set us a good example, and are now in heaven cheering us on, so to speak: see the Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation) 5:8 and 8:3. They are part of the Body of Christ, and our "family" in God.

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from

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

956 The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness . . . [T]hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus . . . so by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped." (Lumen Gentium 49; cf. 1 Tim 2:5

Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life. (St. Dominic, dying, to his brothers)

I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. (St. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Final Conversations, tr. John Clarke {Washington: ICS [Institute of Carmelite Studies], 1977}, 102.

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957 Communion with the saints. "It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself" (Lumen Gentium 50; cf. Eph 4:1-6):

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We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples! (Martyrium Polycarpi, 17: Apostolic Fathers II/3, 396)

Yes, Catholics pray both to God and to the saints. The saints are our intercessors in Heaven and know how to "talk" to God for us. We on Earth are united to the saints through the Mystical Body of Christ - the Communion of Saints.

Plus, at a Church, they pray for their patron saint along with the name of God.