Terms of Service

Domus Formation, Inc. Last Updated: July 19, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of all websites and services operated by Domus Formation, Inc. ("we," "us," or "our"), including:

  • WeAreDomus.com (Domus Formation)
  • HearthAndAltar.com (Hearth & Altar)
  • HogarYAltar.com (Hogar y Altar)
  • EventideAndAltar.com (Eventide & Altar)
  • OcasoYAltar.com (Ocaso y Altar)
  • YoungDisciplesSociety.com (Young Disciples Society)
  • EmmausDisciples.com (Emmaus Disciples)
  • DeaconLife.com (Deacon Life)
  • community.DeaconLife.com (Deacon Life Community)
  • ParishPrayers.com (Parish Prayers)

These sites and offerings are collectively referred to as the "Services." By creating an account, subscribing, or using any of the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services.

1. Description of Services

Domus Formation provides Catholic formation content, resources, and community through its family of properties. Depending on the property, our Services may include daily Scripture reflections, family prayers, saint stories, Universal Prayers for parishes, small-group resources, formation content for permanent deacons, youth ministry materials, and other Catholic educational and devotional content. Content may be available through our websites, downloadable documents, newsletters, and other formats.

The specific content and features available vary by property. We may modify, expand, or discontinue any Service or feature at any time.

Mobile Applications

Some of our Services are accessible through the & Altar mobile application, available on iOS and Android devices. The & Altar app offers in-app purchases for subscription access. Your use of our mobile apps is subject to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and the terms of the applicable app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store). Subscription pricing and auto-renewal details are provided within the app and in the Auto-Renewable Subscriptions section below.

2. User Accounts

To access most of our Services, you must create an account by providing accurate and complete information. You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
  • All activities that occur under your account
  • Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized use at [email protected]

Your account is for your personal use or, for parish-facing Services such as Parish Prayers, for use within your parish. Accounts may not be shared with other individuals, parishes, or organizations beyond their intended scope.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that appear to be sharing access inappropriately.

Household Accounts

Household subscriptions include the ability to add up to 6 household members to a shared subscription. Each household member has their own account within the household, with:

  • Personal account credentials that must not be shared with anyone outside the household
  • Individual path subscriptions (each household member may choose which paths they engage with)
  • Personal data and settings that remain private to their own account

The Primary Subscriber is responsible for:

  • Billing and subscription management
  • Inviting household members and confirming their identities
  • Adherence to age-appropriate use for minor household members
  • Ensuring household members abide by these Terms of Service

Household membership is intended for actual families and households. Selling, sharing, or transferring household access to individuals outside your family is not permitted and may result in account suspension.

Adding Household Members

The Primary Subscriber may invite household members via email or SMS through the & Altar app or wearedomus.com. Invited members must accept the invitation and create an individual account to join the household. Invitations remain valid for 14 days.

Removing Household Members

The Primary Subscriber may remove household members at any time. Removed members retain their individual accounts and any personal data but lose access to household-sharing features and any paths that were provided through the household subscription.

Household members may voluntarily leave a household at any time by contacting us at [email protected].

Minor Household Members

Household subscriptions may include minor children under 18, subject to age-appropriate parental controls and COPPA compliance for children under 13. The Primary Subscriber, as parent or legal guardian, is responsible for supervising minor household members' use of the Services and consenting on their behalf where required.

3. Subscription and Payment

Pricing

Our Services are offered at various price points depending on the property and subscription tier. Current pricing is listed on each property's subscription page. Prices are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change with notice to existing subscribers.

Free Trial

Some Services may offer a free trial period. At the end of the trial period, your payment method will be automatically charged unless you cancel before the trial ends.

Auto-Renewable Subscriptions (& Altar App)

The & Altar app offers the following auto-renewable subscriptions:

  • Household Annual: $59.99/year (up to 6 family members, multiple content paths)
  • Individual Annual: $39.99/year (1 user, multiple content paths)

For subscriptions purchased through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store:

  • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID or Google Play account at confirmation of purchase
  • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period
  • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period
  • You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your device's account settings (Apple ID Account Settings or Google Play Subscriptions)
  • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription

Subscription prices are in U.S. dollars and may vary by region based on app store pricing. Prices are subject to change; we will notify existing subscribers before any price increase takes effect for renewals.

Website Subscriptions (WeAreDomus.com)

Subscriptions purchased directly through WeAreDomus.com are billed at the following annual rates:

  • Household Annual: $50/year (up to 6 family members, multiple content paths)
  • Individual Annual: $30/year (1 user, multiple content paths)
  • Iron & Altar Small Group: $149/year (up to 12 men per Group, weekly discussion guide access in-app)
  • Vessel & Altar Small Group: $149/year (up to 12 women per Group, weekly discussion guide access in-app)

Website subscriptions are processed by Stripe and are subject to the Billing, Cancellation, and Refunds provisions of these Terms. Website subscriptions renew annually unless canceled before the renewal date.

Website pricing differs from app store pricing because the app stores (Apple and Google) charge platform commissions that are reflected in in-app subscription prices.

Emmaus Disciples Subscriptions

Emmaus Disciples is a 15-week evangelization journey available through emmausdisciples.com. Emmaus Disciples subscriptions are offered at the following annual rates:

  • Walking Partners: $75/year (2 people)
  • Small Group: $200/year (up to 12 people)
  • Parish: $750/year (up to 50 people)

Emmaus Disciples subscriptions include daily reflections for each participant, weekly small group discussion guides, and practical evangelization exercises. Additional information about Emmaus Disciples subscriptions is available at emmausdisciples.com or as part of a full Parish License at wearedomus.com/parishes.

Small Group Subscriptions

Iron & Altar and Vessel & Altar Small Group Subscriptions provide subscription access for up to 12 members organized under a Small Group Founder. Small Group Subscriptions:

  • Are billed to the Small Group Founder as the purchasing subscriber
  • Are available for Iron & Altar (Men's Small Groups) and Vessel & Altar (Women's Small Groups)
  • Include full Domus content path access for each of the 12 seats
  • Include weekly Small Group Discussion Guide access in-app for the corresponding path
  • Include full Groups functionality within the & Altar app (shared prayer intentions, feast day observances, bulletin board)
  • Renew annually unless canceled by the Small Group Founder
  • Are only available through WeAreDomus.com, not through the app stores

Members joining a Small Group via invitation code use their seat within the Small Group Subscription for the duration of the subscription. Upon expiration or cancellation of the Small Group Subscription, members may choose to continue with an Individual or Household subscription.

Additional information about Small Group Subscriptions, including how to start one, is available at wearedomus.com/small-groups.

Existing Subscribers Joining Groups

Existing paid Domus subscribers (Individual or Household) may join Groups (of any type - Men's, Women's, or Mixed - and with any patron saint) using invitation codes without additional payment to Domus. Their existing subscription entitles them to full Group participation, including access to shared prayer intentions, feast day observances, and bulletin boards within Groups they join.

Note: Discussion Guide access within a Group is tied to the Group's type. Iron & Altar and Vessel & Altar Small Group Discussion Guides are surfaced in-app for Men's Groups and Women's Groups respectively. Members of these Groups receive Discussion Guide access as part of that Group's benefits.

Billing

Subscriptions are billed through Stripe on a recurring basis (annually, unless otherwise noted on the specific property). Your subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel before the renewal date.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account page or by contacting us at [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You will continue to have access to paid features through the end of the period you have already paid for. We do not provide prorated refunds for partial subscription periods.

Refunds

If you are unsatisfied with your subscription, please contact us within 30 days of your initial purchase or most recent renewal for a full refund. Refund requests after the 30-day window are handled on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to [email protected].

Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices. We will notify existing subscribers before any price increase takes effect. Your continued subscription after the price change constitutes acceptance of the new price.

4. Content Ownership and Permitted Use

All content provided through the Services - including text, prayers, images, graphics, audio, video, and other materials - is owned by Domus Formation, Inc. or our licensors and is protected by copyright law. Your subscription grants you a limited, non-exclusive license to use the content as described below.

You May

  • Access and view content for personal and family use
  • Share limited content with friends and family for non-commercial purposes
  • Download and print content where download features are provided (such as Parish Prayers Word documents)
  • For parish-facing Services: use, adapt, and include content in your parish's liturgical celebrations, worship aids, and bulletins
  • Share content, prayer intentions, and observance participation within your household through household features (household members may see each other's participation in shared feast days and prayer intentions members choose to share)

You May Not

  • Redistribute, resell, or republish our content to other parishes, organizations, or individuals outside the scope of your subscription
  • Use our content for commercial purposes
  • Create derivative works from our content (except where parish adaptation is expressly permitted, as with Parish Prayers)
  • Share your account credentials with individuals outside your household or parish
  • Share your individual household member account credentials with anyone outside your household
  • Use household features to share prayer intentions or content outside your household without the intention author's explicit consent
  • Use automated systems to scrape or download content in bulk
  • Remove any attribution or copyright notices from downloaded materials

5. Trademarks

"Domus Formation," "Hearth & Altar," "Hogar y Altar," "Eventide & Altar," "Ocaso y Altar," "Young Disciples Society," "Emmaus Disciples," "Deacon Life," "Parish Prayers," and associated logos are trademarks or service marks of Domus Formation, Inc. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

6. User Conduct

When using our Services, you agree not to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Impersonate any person or entity
  • Interfere with the proper functioning of the Services
  • Attempt unauthorized access to our systems or other accounts
  • Use the Services to harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate others
  • Use the Services to transmit spam or unsolicited communications
  • Use the Services in any manner that contradicts the mission and values of Domus Formation

We reserve the right to remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these guidelines.

7. User-Generated Content and Community Features

Some of our Services include community features that allow members to post content, interact with other members, and participate in discussions. Currently, this includes the Deacon Life Community at community.deaconlife.com, and may expand to other properties in the future.

Your Content

You retain ownership of the content you create and submit through community features ("User Content"), including posts, comments, forum threads, images, and uploaded resources. By submitting User Content, you grant Domus Formation, Inc. a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content in connection with the operation of the Services. This license allows us to display your posts to other community members, include your content in email digests and notifications, moderate and curate content within the community, and retain anonymized content for community continuity if you delete your account.

This license does not grant us the right to sell your content to third parties, use your content for advertising purposes, or use your content outside the context of the Services.

Community Conduct

In addition to the general user conduct standards in these Terms, community members agree to:

  • Treat fellow members with charity and respect. These communities exist to support one another in faith and ministry. Disagreements are welcome; personal attacks are not.
  • Keep content appropriate to the community's mission. Content should be relevant to the community's purpose (for example, diaconal ministry and life for Deacon Life Community).
  • Respect confidentiality. What is shared in the community stays in the community. Do not share another member's posts, prayer requests, or personal information outside the community without their explicit permission.
  • Do not use the community for commercial promotion. Members may not use posts, comments, or forums to advertise products, services, or fundraising campaigns without prior approval from a community administrator.
  • Do not share misleading or harmful content. This includes content that contradicts established Catholic teaching while presenting itself as authoritative, medical or legal advice presented as professional guidance, misinformation or conspiracy theories, and content that could cause harm to individuals or the community.

Content Moderation

We reserve the right to review, edit, pin, lock, move, or remove any User Content at our sole discretion, including content that violates these Terms or community conduct standards, content that is off-topic for its forum category, content reported by other members, and content that we determine is harmful to the community's mission or members.

We may also restrict or suspend a member's ability to post if they repeatedly violate community conduct standards. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you if your content is removed or your posting privileges are restricted, along with the reason.

Member Directory

Community members are included in the member directory by default. You may opt out of the directory at any time through your profile settings. Your directory listing may include your name, profile photo, diocese, parish, ordination date, and bio. Your email address and phone number are only visible if you explicitly enable their display in your profile settings. Inclusion in the directory does not constitute consent to be contacted for commercial purposes by other members.

Badges and Recognition

We may award badges or recognition based on your community participation and profile information, such as founding member status or ordination milestones. These badges are displayed on your posts, comments, and profile. Badge criteria and availability are determined by Domus Formation and may change over time.

Image and File Uploads

When you upload images or files through community features, you represent that you own the content or have the right to share it, the content does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party, the content does not contain malicious code or harmful material, and for images of people, you have the consent of the individuals depicted.

We process uploaded images (resizing and creating thumbnails) and store them on our servers. We enforce file size limits (profile photos: 2 MB; post images: 5 MB per image, 4 images per post; resource files: 25 MB). We accept the following file types: JPEG and PNG for images; PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, PNG, and JPEG for resource uploads.

Notification Emails

By joining a community, you consent to receive notification emails related to community activity, including immediate notifications for replies and reactions, daily or weekly digest emails summarizing community activity, and announcements about new community features or events.

You control your notification preferences through your community settings page and may adjust them at any time. Notification preferences are separate from other Domus Formation email communications.

Account Cancellation and Content

If you cancel your community subscription, your existing posts, comments, and forum contributions will remain visible to other members. Your profile will be marked as inactive but will not be deleted unless you request it.

If you request full account deletion, your profile information will be removed within 30 days, your posts and comments will be anonymized (your name replaced with "Former Member"), and forum threads you created will remain with anonymized authorship to preserve conversation context. Uploaded images associated with deleted accounts will be removed.

If you wish to delete specific posts or comments before canceling, you may do so through the community interface. Deleted posts are permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

Termination of Community Access

In addition to the general termination provisions in these Terms, we reserve the right to revoke community access for members who repeatedly violate community conduct standards, engage in behavior that is harmful to other members, or use the community in ways that contradict the mission and values of Domus Formation. Termination of community access does not automatically entitle you to a refund of community subscription fees, except as provided in our general refund policy.

Household Prayer Intentions and Observances

Prayer intentions shared with your household and observance records created within your household are considered household-visible content. By sharing prayer intentions or participating in household observances, you consent to their visibility among household members.

You retain ownership of your prayer intentions and personal reflections. Domus Formation does not use household-shared content for purposes outside the household's spiritual life without your consent.

7.5 Household Data and Prayer Intentions

Household features enable sharing of prayer practice, feast day observances, and prayer intentions within your household. Each household member has control over what they share:

Personal vs. Household Data

Each household member's personal reflections, personal prayer intentions, and personal notes remain private to their own account unless they explicitly share them with the household. Data that is inherently shared (household observance participation, engagement patterns visible to household members) is disclosed in our Privacy Policy.

Prayer Intentions Within Households

Household members may share prayer intentions with their household. These intentions are visible to other household members. Members may choose which intentions to share with the household versus keep personal.

Prayer intentions shared with a household are used only for the household's spiritual life. We do not share, use, sell, or disclose prayer intentions for any other purpose.

Household Observance Records

Feast day observances the household plans, participates in, or records become part of your household's formation record. This record is visible to all household members and provides a family memory of shared practice over time.

Household observance records are retained for the duration of the household subscription plus 30 days after subscription cancellation.

8. Groups and Group Features

Groups are voluntary Catholic associations of adult subscribers who choose to walk together in prayer. This section governs the rules for creating, joining, and participating in Groups.

Group Eligibility

To create or join a Group, you must be at least 18 years old, be a paid Domus subscriber (Individually, as a Household member, or through a Small Group Subscription), and not be a Young Disciples (YDS) subscriber.

Household members who are minors (under 18) cannot create or join Groups. YDS subscribers cannot create or join Groups regardless of age.

Adult Tagging Responsibility

Household owners (Primary Subscribers) are responsible for accurately tagging the Adult status of their Household members. By marking a Household member as an Adult, the Household owner represents to Domus that the person is genuinely 18 years of age or older.

Marking a Household member under 18 as an Adult is a violation of these Terms and could subject the Household owner to legal consequences. If a minor accesses Groups features through inaccurate Adult Tagging, both the Household owner and the minor's Groups access will be immediately affected upon discovery.

Group Founder Responsibilities

The Group Founder is the person who creates a Group and has additional privileges. As a Group Founder, you agree to:

  • Only invite adults (18+) to your Group
  • Not knowingly invite minors to your Group
  • Take responsibility for the general character of your Group (its patron, name, type, and general purpose)
  • Remove any Group members whose participation violates these Terms
  • Not use Group features to organize activities that violate the law, harm minors, promote hatred, or otherwise conflict with Catholic teaching or Domus's Terms

Group Founders are subscribers who have chosen to organize a Group. They are not agents of Domus, do not speak for Domus, and their actions within their Groups do not represent Domus policy. Domus is not responsible for content posted by Group Founders or Group members.

Group Content Standards

Content shared within Groups (bulletin posts, prayer intentions, feast day observance notes) must:

  • Reflect the values of Catholic faith and practice
  • Respect the dignity of every Group member
  • Not include hate speech, harassment, threats, or personal attacks
  • Not include unlawful content, defamation, or infringing material
  • Not solicit or promote financial transactions unrelated to Group life
  • Not include explicit sexual content
  • Not include content encouraging harm to self or others

Domus reserves the right to review Group content in response to reported violations and to remove content or Group access as appropriate.

Group Discussion Guides

Groups flagged as Men's Group or Women's Group have in-app access to the corresponding Iron & Altar or Vessel & Altar Small Group Discussion Guides. Discussion Guides are Domus content licensed under these Terms; Group members may not redistribute Discussion Guide content outside their Group without Domus permission.

Mixed Groups do not have Discussion Guide integration and are free to use whatever material serves their gathering.

Leaving or Being Removed from Groups

You may leave any Group at any time. Group Founders may remove you from their Groups.

Upon leaving or being removed:

  • You lose access to that Group's content
  • Your historical contributions to the Group remain visible to remaining Group members unless you delete them individually before leaving
  • You may rejoin only if the Group Founder invites you again

Group Deletion

Group Founders may delete their Groups at any time. Upon deletion:

  • All Group data (bulletin posts, prayer intentions, observance records) is permanently removed within 30 days
  • Members lose access to Group history
  • Domus does not retain Group data after the 30-day retention period ends

If a Group Founder is inactive for 90 consecutive days, Domus may transfer Founder status to another Group member or, at Domus's discretion, disband the Group after appropriate notice.

Reporting Violations

If you observe a Group member or content that violates these Terms, you can report the violation through the app's reporting feature. Reports are reviewed by Domus staff, and appropriate action (which may include removing content, restricting Group access, or removing membership) will be taken in Domus's sole discretion.

9. Fasting and Almsgiving Features (Give)

Domus provides Fast and Give features to support Catholic subscribers in the practice of fasting and almsgiving. These features are provided as spiritual formation resources, not as medical, financial, or legal advice.

Fasting and Health

Fasting can affect physical health. Domus provides Fast invitations with the explicit understanding that fasting from food is not appropriate for everyone in every season of life. Specifically, subscribers should NOT undertake physical fasting from food if:

  • Pregnant or nursing
  • Seriously ill or recovering
  • Taking medications that require regular food intake
  • Recovering from an eating disorder or actively struggling with disordered eating
  • Otherwise medically advised not to fast

Domus offers alternatives to physical fasting in every case (extra prayer, small self-denial, offering another form of sacrifice). Subscribers who elect to physically fast from food do so at their own discretion, and Domus is not responsible for any adverse health outcomes.

Personal Practice Tracking

The Fast and Give features include personal practice tracking (streaks and history). This tracking:

  • Measures intentional participation in the practice, not compliance with any obligation
  • Is entirely private to the individual subscriber
  • Does not accommodate leaderboards or comparison
  • Can be reset or deleted by the subscriber at any time through Account settings

Domus does not encourage subscribers to fast more than their circumstances warrant, and does not gamify the practice.

Almsgiving Recommendations

Domus provides suggestions and recommendations for almsgiving practice but:

  • Does not process financial donations on behalf of subscribers
  • Does not partner with specific charitable organizations for financial gain
  • Does not take a percentage of donations subscribers make to Church or charity
  • Does not endorse or recommend specific financial giving amounts as obligation

Subscribers make their own decisions about what, how much, and to whom to give. Domus provides theological framing and daily invitations but does not act as a financial intermediary.

Not Professional Advice

Fast and Give features are Catholic formation resources for educational and devotional purposes. Content does not constitute professional theological, spiritual direction, counseling, medical, financial, or legal advice. Please consult appropriate professionals for specific concerns about health, finances, or spiritual practice.

10. Disclaimers

Service Availability

We strive to maintain consistent availability of our Services but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Services may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or circumstances beyond our control. We will attempt to provide notice of planned maintenance when possible.

Not Professional Advice

Domus Formation provides Catholic formation content for educational and devotional purposes. Our content does not constitute professional theological, spiritual direction, counseling, legal, financial, or medical advice. While our content is prepared with care and fidelity to Catholic teaching, parish clergy and ministry leaders are responsible for reviewing and approving any content used in their pastoral settings. We encourage you to consult appropriate professionals for specific concerns.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Domus Formation, Inc. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages resulting from your use or inability to use the Services. Our total liability for any claims arising from your use of the Services shall not exceed the amount you paid to Domus Formation in the twelve months preceding the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. If these laws apply to you, some of the above limitations may not apply.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Domus Formation, Inc. from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Services, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms.

13. Termination

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account page or by contacting us. You may also request account deletion by emailing [email protected]. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account for violations of these Terms.

Termination Related to Groups

  • Users who violate these Terms while participating in Groups may have their Groups access terminated
  • Group Founders who violate these Terms may have their Group deleted and their Domus account terminated
  • Household owners who mis-tag Adult status of minors may have Groups features restricted for their Household
  • Termination of Groups access does not automatically entitle you to a refund except as provided in our general refund policy

14. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice on our websites. Your continued use of the Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Services shall be resolved in the courts of Illinois.

16. Contact Us

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

Domus Formation, Inc. PO Box 26 Edwardsville, IL 62025 Email: [email protected]

Domus Formation, Inc. Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus