Privacy Policy

1. Draft review notice

This Privacy Policy is a draft placeholder provided as a starting point only. It must be reviewed by qualified legal counsel before publication or use, and it does not constitute legal advice.

2. Introduction

BLEST is Catholic digital infrastructure for parish life. This Privacy Policy describes how BLEST may collect, use, protect, and manage information, as configured by the relevant Catholic institution and subject to applicable law.

Where enabled by your parish, diocese, shrine, or retreat house, your use of BLEST is also governed by the policies of that institution. Terms used here are intended in plain English and may be refined following legal review.

3. Information we may collect

BLEST may collect the following categories of information, where enabled by the parish or institution and where you choose to provide it:

• Contact details such as name, email address, and phone number
• Family and household details, where provided
• Parish, zone, or institutional affiliation
• Certificate and sacramental record requests
• Mass intention requests
• Donation and offering records
• Retreat, shrine, accommodation, and event booking details
• Communication and notification preferences
• Limited technical and usage information needed to operate and secure the platform

4. How we may use information

Subject to parish, diocesan, shrine, or retreat house policies and applicable law, information may be used to:

• Provide parish and institutional services you or your institution request
• Deliver announcements, reminders, and notifications, where enabled
• Process certificate, Mass intention, donation, and booking requests, where enabled
• Support parish, diocesan, shrine, and retreat house administration as configured
• Maintain records and audit trails where required
• Operate, improve, and secure the platform
• Comply with applicable law

5. Parish, diocese, shrine, and retreat house access

BLEST operates under the authority of the relevant Catholic institution. Access to information is configured by the parish, diocese, shrine, or retreat house through role-based permissions.

Diocese-level visibility is provided only where approved. The institution remains responsible for its community’s records; BLEST processes information on its behalf, as configured by the relevant Catholic institution and subject to applicable law.

6. Sensitive Catholic and family information

Some information handled through BLEST may be sensitive, including family details, sacramental records, and certificate information.

BLEST is designed to handle such information with care, least-privilege access, and clear consent where required. Such handling is subject to parish, diocesan, shrine, or retreat house policies, competent Church authority, and applicable law.

7. Children, minors, and family records

Family records may include information about minors, where provided by a parent, guardian, or the parish. Information about minors should be added only by appropriate adults and handled with particular care, subject to applicable law and institutional policy.

Where required, parental or guardian consent applies. BLEST does not knowingly collect information directly from children without appropriate authorization.

8. Donations, offerings, Mass intention requests, and payments

Where enabled, BLEST may support donation, offering, and Mass intention request workflows, and associated payment processing through third-party providers. BLEST does not sell sacraments, blessings, Masses, or spiritual benefits.

Payment information is handled by payment providers subject to their own terms. Stipend, donation, refund, and foreign-contribution matters are subject to the relevant institution, competent Church authority, and applicable law.

9. Certificates and sacramental record requests

Where the parish enables it, BLEST may support certificate and sacramental record request workflows. Verification, approval, and issuance remain under parish authority.

Such records are handled carefully and are subject to parish, diocesan, and Church authority norms and applicable law.

10. Communications and notifications

BLEST may send parish announcements, reminders, and notifications, where enabled by the institution and according to your preferences. You may be able to adjust certain communication preferences, where permitted and as configured by the relevant institution.

11. Data sharing and service providers

BLEST does not sell personal information. Information may be shared with the relevant Catholic institution as configured, and with service providers — such as hosting, communication, and payment providers — who process information on BLEST’s behalf, subject to appropriate safeguards and applicable law.

Information may also be disclosed where required by law or to protect rights, safety, and the integrity of the platform.

12. Data security

BLEST is designed to use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information, including access controls and audit trails where appropriate. No system can guarantee absolute security, and security practices are subject to ongoing review.

13. Data retention

Information may be retained for as long as necessary to provide parish services, maintain appropriate records, and comply with applicable law and institutional policy. Retention periods are configured in accordance with parish, diocesan, shrine, or retreat house policies.

14. User choices and account deletion

Where permitted and as configured by the relevant institution, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain information, and may request account deletion.

Some records — such as certain parish or sacramental records — may be retained by the institution where required by institutional policy or applicable law, even after account deletion.

15. International users and NRIs

BLEST may be used by NRIs and overseas Catholics. Information may be processed in the country where the parish or institution operates. Cross-border transfers and foreign contributions are subject to applicable law and institutional policy.

By using BLEST from outside that country, where enabled, you acknowledge such processing, subject to applicable law.

16. Changes to this policy

This draft policy may be updated as BLEST develops and following legal review. Where appropriate, material changes will be communicated. Continued use after changes, where enabled, indicates acknowledgment of the updated policy.

17. Contact information

For questions about this draft policy, a contact channel will be provided here following review.

[Contact details to be added before publication.]