Terms of Use

The Catholic Steps (thecatholicsteps.com) is a faith-based fellowship platform owned and operated by Paradise Way Media LLC. The Site supports Roman Catholics in walking a 12-step Sacramental Path to Freedom through resources, community features, meeting information, sponsorship guidance, and fellowship — all rooted in Catholic teaching and the Sacramental life of the Church.

Nothing on this Site constitutes professional medical, psychological, legal, or financial advice. This is a spiritual program only. If you are struggling with addiction, mental health, or other serious concerns, please seek qualified professional help in addition to using this resource.

By accessing or using this website — including its free content, fellowship features, subscription services, and all related services — you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. By registering, you represent that all information you provide is accurate and that you will keep it current. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

Account authentication is handled through Manus OAuth. We do not store your password. You are responsible for the security of your Manus account credentials.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in harmful behavior toward other members, or misuse any feature of the Site.

The Catholic Steps operates on a freemium model:

• ·Free access: The 12 Steps content, meeting information, sponsorship guidance, resources, testimonials, and all public pages are available to everyone without charge or account registration.
• ·Fellowship membership ($4/month): A paid subscription unlocks community features including Find Catholic Friends, Catholic Groups, Direct Messages, My Journal, the Society of Peace, and other fellowship tools. Payment is processed securely through Stripe.

Subscription pricing is subject to change. Any changes will be communicated in advance and will not affect your current billing period.

Fellowship membership is billed at $4 per month. Your subscription renews automatically each month until canceled.

• ·You may cancel your subscription at any time through the Stripe Customer Portal, accessible from your account settings.
• ·Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You retain access to Fellowship features until that date.
• ·We do not offer refunds for partial billing periods unless required by applicable law.
• ·Canceling your subscription does not delete your account. Your profile and free-tier access remain active.
• ·Payment is processed by Stripe. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or billing address.

This is a Catholic community. All members are expected to engage with charity, respect, and fidelity to Catholic teaching. The following are prohibited:

• ·Content that is abusive, harassing, threatening, or defamatory toward any person.
• ·Content that contradicts or undermines Catholic doctrine, the Magisterium, or the authority of the Church.
• ·Spam, solicitation, advertising, or promotion of non-Catholic or anti-Catholic materials.
• ·Sharing another member's private information without their consent.
• ·Impersonating another person, priest, or religious figure.
• ·Any content that is sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate for a faith community.

We reserve the right to remove any content and to suspend or ban any member who violates these standards, at our sole discretion.

Members and visitors may submit a testimonial through the Testimonials page. By submitting a testimonial, you:

• ·Confirm that the content is true and your own.
• ·Grant Paradise Way Media LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display your name, location, and quote on the Site.
• ·Acknowledge that testimonials are reviewed by an administrator before publication and may be declined at our discretion.
• ·Understand that your email address, if provided, will not be displayed publicly.

You may request removal of a published testimonial at any time by contacting us at [email protected].

The following fellowship features are available to active subscribers, each subject to these Terms:

• ·Find Catholic Friends — search for and connect with fellow members.
• ·Catholic Groups — join or create fellowship groups. Public groups are open to all members; private groups require administrator approval.
• ·Direct Messages — private one-to-one messaging between members.
• ·My Journal — personal, private step-by-step journal notes visible only to you.
• ·Society of Peace — a dedicated fellowship space within the community.
• ·Notifications — in-app alerts for friend requests, group activity, and fellowship events.

The sponsorship guidance on this Site is provided for informational and community purposes. By using the sponsorship features, you acknowledge that:

• ·Sponsors are fellow members, not licensed counselors or clergy acting in an official capacity.
• ·Sponsorship relationships are formed and maintained in the real world, not solely through this website.
• ·Paradise Way Media LLC is not liable for the conduct of any sponsor or sponsee.

All original content on this Site — including the 12 Steps text, written reflections, design, and branding — is the property of Paradise Way Media LLC and its author(s). You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from this content without written permission.

Content you post in community discussions, group boards, or direct messages remains yours, but you grant Paradise Way Media LLC a non-exclusive license to display it on the Site. You are responsible for ensuring that anything you post does not infringe the rights of others.

Your use of the Site is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what information we collect, how it is used, and what is visible to other members. Please read it carefully.

Members may enable Anonymous Mode from their profile settings at any time. When Anonymous Mode is on, the member's profile will not appear in member search results on the Find Catholic Friends page and other members cannot find them by searching the site. Existing friendships, group memberships, and direct messages are not affected. Anonymous Mode is entirely voluntary and may be toggled on or off at any time.

The Site is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Your use of the Site is at your own risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Paradise Way Media LLC and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of competent jurisdiction in Texas.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact Paradise Way Media LLC at [email protected] or visit thecatholicsteps.com/contact.