Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 07/06/2022
Last Updated: 02/12/2025
Who We Are
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish (“we,” “our,” or “us”) operates the website https://ihmercer.org. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that any personal information you provide is handled securely and responsibly.
Information We Collect
We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with our website. This may include:
- Personal Information: Name, email address, and any details you voluntarily provide when filling out forms or leaving comments.
- Automatically Collected Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited for analytical and security purposes.
- Cookies and Tracking Technologies: See the “Cookies” section for more details.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on our site, we collect the data entered in the comment form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymized string (hash) created from your email address may be sent to the Gravatar service to check if you are using it. The Gravatar privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. Once your comment is approved, your profile picture is visible to the public alongside your comment.
Media Uploads
If you upload images to our website, please ensure that they do not contain embedded location data (EXIF GPS) as visitors to the website may download and extract such data.
Mobile Messages (SMS/Texting Policy)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish respects the privacy of its members.
- No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
- All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
- Users may opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any text message received.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience.
- Comment Cookies: If you leave a comment, you may opt in to saving your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience. These cookies last one year.
- Login Cookies: When visiting our login page, a temporary cookie will be set to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
- Analytics Cookies: We use third-party analytics services to track and analyze website traffic and interactions.
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.
Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles). Embedded content from other websites behaves as if you visited the original website, meaning these sites may collect data, use cookies, and track interactions. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.
How Long We Retain Your Data
- Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
- Contact form submissions and inquiries are kept for a reasonable period to respond to inquiries and provide necessary support.
- Other data is retained as required for security, legal, or operational purposes.
How We Protect Your Data
We implement appropriate security measures, including:
- Secure servers and encrypted data storage where applicable.
- Limited access to personal data by authorized personnel only.
- Routine monitoring to prevent security threats.
Despite our best efforts, no system can be 100% secure. Users should also take precautions in sharing personal information online.
Where Your Data is Sent
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
- Form submissions and contact inquiries are sent directly to our parish staff and securely stored on our servers.
- We do not sell, rent, or distribute personal data to third parties.
Your Rights Over Your Data
If you have submitted personal data to us (e.g., through comments or forms), you may request:
- A copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Deletion of any personal data, subject to legal and operational requirements.
To request data access or deletion, please contact us via the information below.
Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If a parent or guardian believes that we have collected a child’s information, they may contact us to request its removal.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with the updated effective date. We encourage users to review this page periodically.
Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy, please contact:
📞 Phone: (724) 662-2999
🌐 Website Contact Form: https://ihmercer.org/contact