Overview
Vespers is a private communication platform operated for Catholic parishes. This policy describes what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. We aim to collect the minimum necessary to run the service and we do not sell or share your information with advertisers.
Information we collect
We collect only what is needed to provide the service to you and your parish:
- Account information you provide — name, email address, date of birth (used to enforce our minimum age of 13 and to enable child-safety protections), and the parish that invited you.
- Content you create within the app — messages, prayer intentions, event RSVPs, and other contributions to your parish community.
- Basic service logs — timestamps, request metadata, and error reports used to keep the service secure and working.
- If you sign in with Google or Microsoft, we receive only your name, email address, and profile picture from that provider. We do not receive your contacts, calendar, or any other data from your account.
How we use information
We use your information to operate the platform within your parish: authenticating you, delivering messages and notifications to the people you communicate with, enforcing child-safety rules, and maintaining the security and reliability of the service. We do not use your content for advertising, and we do not train machine learning models on your content.
Who can see your information
Your messages and activity are visible only to the people you share them with inside your parish — never to other parishes on the platform, never to the general public, and never to advertisers. Parish administrators and designated vetted adults may see content as required for child-safety and conduct enforcement. We do not sell personal information.
Minors and child safety
Vespers requires a minimum age of 13. Conversations involving a minor require at least two vetted adults to be present. Parents or guardians may be granted guardian access to support their own children's use of the app. These safeguards are core to the design of the service and are enforced automatically.
How we protect your information
Access is protected by industry-standard authentication and session management. All traffic to and from the app is encrypted with TLS. Per-parish data is isolated at the database level. We monitor the service for unauthorized access and respond to incidents promptly.
Data retention
We retain your account and content for as long as your account is active. If you leave your parish, your administrator may retain your content within that parish as part of its records. You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us; deletion removes personal information subject to any retention required for safety, legal, or record-keeping reasons.
Your choices
You may request a copy of your personal information, correct inaccuracies, or request deletion of your account by contacting us. You may also sign out of the app at any time and revoke any OAuth connection from your provider's account settings.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or about your information can be sent to privacy@vespers.community.