Privacy

Privacy is not a feature of The Catholic Steps — it is a core guideline of the fellowship. This site is owned and operated by Paradise Way Publishing. This page explains clearly what information is visible to others, what is visible only to signed-in members, and what is completely private to you alone. We want you to feel safe walking your journey here.

Privacy as a Core Guideline

Private

·The Catholic Steps is a spiritual fellowship, not a social network. Privacy is not a feature — it is a foundational principle.
·What you share in your step work, your prayer intentions, and your sponsorship relationship belongs to you and God alone.
·We do not encourage public sharing of personal struggles, sins, or spiritual wounds. The Steps are walked in the quiet of your heart, before God.
·The fellowship exists to support your journey — not to broadcast it.
·Members are encouraged to share only what they are comfortable with, and to respect the privacy of every other member without exception.

"What is said here, stays here." This principle, familiar from 12-Step traditions, is the spirit of this fellowship. We ask every member to honor it.

Visible to Everyone (Public)

Public

·Your display name and profile photo
·Your diocese and city (if you choose to enter them)
·Your favorite saint (if you choose to enter it)
·Whether you are available to sponsor others
·Your sponsorship style description (if entered)
·Your member-since date
·Your group memberships (groups you have joined)

This information appears on your public profile page and is visible to anyone who visits the site, including visitors who are not signed in. You are in control of what you enter.

Visible to Signed-In Members Only

Members Only

·Your friend connections (who you are connected with)
·Direct messages you send to other members
·Group messages within your groups

Only members who are signed in can see community interactions. Visitors who are not signed in cannot access these areas. Members who have enabled Anonymous Mode do not appear in member search results and cannot be found by other members.

Private — Only You Can See This

Private

·Your step-by-step progress through the 12 Steps
·Your personal journal notes on each step
·Your private prayer intentions (marked private on the Prayer Wall)
·Your email address and account credentials
·Your full legal name (first, middle, last) — used only in the Sponsee Workspace header
·Notifications in your bell menu
·Whether Anonymous Mode is enabled on your account

Your step progress and journal entries are never shared with other members, sponsors, or the public. They are stored securely and are visible only to you.

Sponsorship Workspace

Members Only

·The Sponsee Workspace is shared between you and your sponsor only
·Messages, notes, and step discussions in the workspace are private to that pair
·The workspace header shows both full names (sponsor and sponsee) for clarity
·No one outside the sponsorship pair can view workspace content

If a sponsorship relationship ends, both parties retain access to the workspace history but no new messages can be sent.

Direct Messages

Private

·Direct messages between two members are private to those two members
·Group messages are private to the members of that group
·Messages are not moderated in real time, but may be reviewed if a member reports abuse

Notifications

Private

·Notifications are visible only to you and are automatically marked as read when you open the notification bell
·You receive notifications for: friend requests received, friend requests accepted, join requests approved or declined, group membership changes, and other fellowship activity
·Paradise Way Publishing may receive an administrative notification when certain events occur (e.g., new member joins), but the content of your personal activity is not shared

Anonymous Mode

Private

·You may enable Anonymous Mode from your profile settings at any time
·When Anonymous Mode is on, your profile will not appear in member search results on the Find Catholic Friends page (/find-catholic-friends)
·Other members cannot find you by searching the site while Anonymous Mode is enabled
·Your existing friendships, group memberships, and direct messages are not affected by Anonymous Mode
·You are informed about Anonymous Mode when you first join the fellowship

Anonymous Mode is entirely voluntary. You may turn it on or off at any time from your profile edit form.

What We Never Do

Private

·We do not sell your data to third parties
·We do not share your personal information with advertisers
·We do not display your email address publicly
·We do not share your step progress or journal notes with anyone
·We do not use your prayer intentions for any purpose other than displaying them to you (and to the community if you mark them public)
·We do not encourage or require public sharing of personal struggles, sins, or spiritual wounds

A Note on Spiritual Discretion

The Catholic tradition has always understood that the interior life is sacred. What God is doing in your soul is between you and Him. This fellowship exists to support that work — not to expose it. Please extend the same respect to every member you encounter here.

If you have questions about your privacy or would like to request deletion of your account and data, please contact Paradise Way Publishing at [email protected].