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Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to common questions. If you don’t see your question here, please contact us.

What is the mission of tridentine.org?

To equip the faithful to advocate—charitably and effectively—for the Traditional Latin Mass.

  • Tools for action. Provide clear, respectful letter templates and diocesan contact pathways grounded in the Church’s law and documents.
  • Truth and charity. Encourage communication that is firm in doctrine, fair in tone, and oriented toward reconciliation and the salvation of souls.
  • Stewardship. Sustain a lean, transparent, software‑first effort so resources go to concrete outcomes, not overhead.

In short: help Catholics be heard—respectfully—so that the Church’s liturgical patrimony remains accessible to the faithful.

Are donations refundable?

No. Donations are gifts made to support tridentine.org’s work. Once processed, we do not issue refunds because:

  • Funds are often allocated to ongoing work immediately (hosting, data work, and content), so reversing them would disrupt operations.
  • Payment processors charge non‑refundable fees on each transaction.
  • For clarity and fairness, we apply one simple, consistent policy to every donor.

If a payment was clearly made in error (duplicate charges, wrong amount), please contact us and we’ll work with you to address it.

Is tridentine.org a non‑profit?

No. We operate as a simple apostolate rather than a 501(c)(3) for practical and governance reasons:

  • Mission focus over formalities. Non‑profits require a board, bylaws, minutes, and annual filings across jurisdictions—overhead that diverts energy and resources.
  • Board capture risk. A board can drift, deadlock, or replace leadership; in the worst case, a misaligned or hostile board can materially alter or even shutter the mission (“board capture”).
  • Administrative drag. Audits, public disclosures, and compliance reviews increase costs and slow decisions, especially for small, software‑driven projects.
  • Simplicity and agility. Remaining lean lets us build quickly, iterate, and keep the mission pointed straight at the needs of the faithful.

Donations are not tax‑deductible. They support concrete work: software, data stewardship, and outreach that helps Catholics advocate respectfully for the Traditional Latin Mass.

What personal data is collected and how is it stored?

We collect only what’s necessary to run the site and support respectful advocacy:

  • Contact basics you provide (name, email) when you use the contact form.
  • Letter content you compose in our letter tools.
  • Technical metadata such as IP address, timestamps, device type, and pages visited (standard server logs).
  • Donation metadata from our payment processor (Stripe). We do not store credit card numbers.

Storage. Content and form inputs are stored in our application database and logs with restricted access. Payment details are handled by Stripe; we retain only the minimal metadata needed to reconcile donations.

See the Privacy Policy for the full description, including retention and disclosures.

How do I find my diocese/archdiocese?

Use the site menu to browse Dioceses by State or the Archdioceses index pages. You can also navigate directly from the top menu.

How do I create and send a letter?

Go to Letters to Bishops. Compose your letter, preview it, download as PDF, print, or email respectfully using the provided actions.

How is the Catholic Church organized?

The Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure with archdioceses and dioceses organized into ecclesiastical provinces. Understanding this structure is crucial for traditional Catholics advocating for the Latin Mass, as it determines who has authority over liturgical decisions.

Read our complete guide to Church hierarchy →

What data do you collect and retain?

We keep only what we need to operate the site and support advocacy. See the Privacy Policy for details on data categories, retention, and disclosures. We do not store credit card numbers; payments are processed by Stripe.