Lay groups in the Catholic Church are associations where the faithful who are not ordained clergy (laypeople) unite around a shared spirituality, devotion, or mission to mutually support one another in living out their baptismal call to holiness. These groups, which operate in communion with the Church, provide community, spiritual formation, and a structured path for their members to sanctify their everyday lives and engage in works of evangelization and service, thereby extending the Church's presence into the secular world.