Terms of Service

By accessing or using GraceBook (“the Platform”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Platform.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and GraceBook. They apply to all users of the Platform, including seekers, mentors, and visitors.

By creating an account, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

GraceBook is a digital platform that connects Catholics seeking spiritual guidance with verified spiritual mentors — including priests, religious brothers and sisters, permanent deacons, and certified lay spiritual directors.

GraceBook provides the technology infrastructure for these connections. We are not a healthcare provider, counseling service, crisis hotline, or substitute for professional mental health care. We do not provide sacramental ministry of any kind.

GraceBook operates under the authority of the Catholic Church. All mentors serve under the approval of their bishop, religious superior, or pastor.

To use GraceBook, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Provide accurate and truthful information during registration
• Not have been previously suspended or removed from the Platform
• Comply with all applicable laws in your jurisdiction

Additional Requirements for Mentors

• Provide valid credentials as required by your mentor category
• Obtain and maintain written approval from your bishop, religious superior, or pastor
• Complete and maintain VIRTUS/Safe Environment certification
• Comply with all reverification requirements

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
• You may not create multiple accounts or share your account with others.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

Account information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

GraceBook verifies mentors through a rigorous process that includes credential review, episcopal or superior approval, and safe environment compliance. However:

• Verification confirms credentials and authorization — it is not a guarantee of the quality, accuracy, or effectiveness of any spiritual guidance provided.
• Mentors are independent individuals, not employees or agents of GraceBook.
• The spiritual guidance provided by mentors reflects their own training, charism, and pastoral judgment.
• GraceBook does not control, direct, or supervise the content of spiritual conversations.

GraceBook relies in good faith on the authorization provided by the mentor's bishop, religious superior, or pastor. Responsibility for evaluating a mentor's fitness for ministry rests with the authorizing ecclesial authority.

Mentors are reverified annually. If a mentor's credentials or authorization are revoked at any time, their access to the Platform is immediately suspended.

You agree to use GraceBook for its intended purpose: seeking or providing Catholic spiritual mentorship. Acceptable uses include:

• Seeking spiritual direction, discernment coaching, prayer support, faith formation, confession preparation, or spiritual conversation
• Offering the above as a verified mentor
• Accessing prayer resources, formation materials, and community features
• Communicating respectfully with mentors, seekers, and other users

You may not use GraceBook to:

• Harass, threaten, intimidate, or abuse any user
• Impersonate another person, mentor, or ecclesial authority
• Provide false credentials, fabricated endorsements, or misrepresent your qualifications
• Solicit or offer sacramental ministry (including confession) through the Platform
• Share, distribute, or promote content that violates Catholic teaching or the Magisterium
• Use the Platform for commercial solicitation, advertising, or marketing unrelated to GraceBook's mission
• Attempt to circumvent security measures, encryption, or access controls
• Record, screenshot, or distribute session content without the explicit consent of all participants
• Use the Platform while impaired in a way that endangers yourself or others
• Violate any applicable law or regulation

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate suspension or permanent removal from the Platform, and may be reported to relevant authorities.

All mentors on GraceBook agree to the following standards of conduct as a condition of their participation on the Platform:

• Maintain appropriate boundaries — Mentors must not engage in dual relationships with seekers (e.g., financial, romantic, or professional relationships outside the mentoring context).
• Respect the seeker's autonomy — Spiritual accompaniment guides; it does not coerce. Mentors must respect the seeker's freedom of conscience and pace of growth.
• Stay within your competence — Mentors must refer seekers to qualified professionals (licensed counselors, therapists, medical providers) when a seeker's needs exceed the scope of spiritual accompaniment.
• Communicate appropriately — All communication with seekers must occur through the Platform. Mentors must not solicit personal contact information or arrange meetings outside GraceBook without the seeker's initiative.
• Protect confidentiality — Mentors must not disclose any information about their seekers — including their identity, the existence of the relationship, or any content discussed — to anyone outside the session, except as required by law.
• Act with fidelity to the Magisterium — Guidance provided through GraceBook must be consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church.
• Acknowledge power dynamics — The mentor-seeker relationship involves an inherent imbalance of authority. Mentors must exercise their role with humility, care, and awareness of this dynamic.

Violation of this code of conduct may result in immediate suspension or permanent removal from the Platform, and may be reported to the mentor's bishop, religious superior, or pastor.

By using GraceBook as a mentor, you acknowledge and agree that you are bound by all applicable mandatory reporting laws in your jurisdiction. Specifically:

• If you become aware of or reasonably suspect child abuse or neglect, you are required to report it to the appropriate civil authorities in accordance with applicable law.
• If a seeker expresses imminent danger of harm to themselves or others, you must direct them to emergency services (911 or local equivalent) and, where required by law, report accordingly.
• If you become aware of abuse of a vulnerable adult, you must report it in accordance with applicable law.

GraceBook's zero-knowledge architecture means we cannot monitor session content. The responsibility to recognize and act on reportable disclosures rests with the mentor. GraceBook will cooperate with law enforcement and ecclesial authorities to the extent permitted by our technical architecture and applicable law.

Failure to comply with mandatory reporting obligations is a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate removal from the Platform, in addition to any legal consequences under applicable law.

GraceBook provides spiritual accompaniment only. The following sacramental boundaries are absolute and non-negotiable:

• No sacramental confession — The Sacrament of Reconciliation requires physical presence (Canon 960). GraceBook offers confession preparation tools only. Any attempt to solicit or offer sacramental absolution through the Platform is a violation of these Terms.
• No sacramental ministry — The Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, and all other sacraments require physical presence and proper liturgical form. GraceBook does not facilitate sacramental ministry of any kind.
• No substitute for parish life — GraceBook is designed to complement, never replace, active participation in a local parish community and the sacramental life of the Church.

Clear disclaimers are displayed before and during every session. Both seekers and mentors acknowledge these boundaries upon account creation.

• All sessions are conducted through GraceBook's encrypted video platform with optional camera, microphone, and in-session chat.
• Sessions are end-to-end encrypted. GraceBook cannot access the content of your sessions.
• Sessions are not recorded by default. There is no mechanism for GraceBook staff to listen to or view sessions.
• Mentor session notes are encrypted client-side and accessible only to the mentor who created them.
• You may cancel or reschedule sessions in accordance with the scheduling policies displayed at the time of booking.
• Both parties are expected to treat sessions with the dignity appropriate to spiritual conversation.

• GraceBook operates on a voluntary donation model. Seekers are never required to pay to access spiritual mentorship.
• After sessions, seekers may choose to offer a voluntary donation. This is entirely optional.
• Donations to mentors are processed through Stripe. GraceBook retains a small percentage to sustain platform operations.
• General donations to support the GraceBook mission are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
• All payment processing is handled by Stripe in accordance with their Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
• GraceBook does not store your credit card information. All payment data is handled exclusively by Stripe.
• Refund requests for donations may be submitted to support@gracebook.com within 30 days.

• The GraceBook name, logo, design, and all platform content (excluding user-generated content) are the property of GraceBook and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
• You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from GraceBook's proprietary content without written permission.
• Content you create (such as profile information) remains yours, but you grant GraceBook a limited license to display it on the Platform as necessary to provide the service.
• Mentor session notes belong to the mentor. GraceBook has no right to access, use, or distribute them.
• Prayer resources, formation materials, and other educational content provided on the Platform may be used for personal spiritual growth but may not be redistributed commercially.

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” To the fullest extent permitted by law, GraceBook disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
• Any guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure at all times
• Any guarantee regarding the quality, accuracy, or effectiveness of spiritual guidance received through the Platform

GraceBook is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric care. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact your local emergency services, call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or go to your nearest emergency room.

Spiritual mentorship provided through GraceBook is not therapy, counseling, or medical advice. Mentors are spiritual guides, not licensed healthcare providers (unless separately credentialed in their professional capacity, which is outside the scope of GraceBook).

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GraceBook and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• Your use of or inability to use the Platform
• Any spiritual guidance, advice, or content received through the Platform
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
• Any conduct or content of any third party on the Platform
• Any other matter related to the Platform

In no event shall GraceBook's total liability exceed the greater of (a) the amount you have paid to GraceBook in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) $100.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such cases, our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GraceBook and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another person or entity
• Any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Platform

By You

• You may close your account at any time by contacting support@gracebook.com or through your account settings.
• Upon closure, your data will be handled in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.

By GraceBook

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms or our community guidelines
• Your mentor credentials or authorization are revoked by your ecclesiastical authority
• We receive a credible report of harmful or inappropriate conduct
• We are required to do so by law
• Your account has been inactive for more than 24 months

Where possible, we will provide notice and an opportunity to address the issue before permanent termination. In cases involving safety concerns, we may act immediately without prior notice.

• Informal resolution — We encourage you to contact us at support@gracebook.com to resolve any dispute informally before pursuing formal proceedings.
• Governing law — These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.
• Arbitration — Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved by binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Arbitration shall take place in Virginia.
• Class action waiver — You agree to resolve disputes with GraceBook on an individual basis. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.
• Exceptions — Either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for violations of intellectual property rights or confidentiality obligations.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes:

• We will post the updated Terms on this page with a new effective date
• We will notify registered users by email at least 30 days before material changes take effect
• We will provide a clear summary of what changed

Your continued use of GraceBook after the updated Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Platform and close your account.

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: