We respect our website visitors and understand your privacy concerns. St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church ("we," "our," or "us") has created this policy to ensure your personal information is handled securely and responsibly. This Privacy Policy may change as we develop our website and services, so please review it periodically to stay informed about our current practices.
1. Who We Are
We are St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church, and we exist to lift up the name of Jesus. Read about our history and mission on our website.
2. What Information We Collect and Why
With your consent, we may collect information when you:
- Fill out online forms on our website
- Contact our staff by phone or email
- Complete paper contact cards at church
- Register for events
- Meet with our team
- Make online donations
Information collected may include:
- Your name and date of birth
- Contact information including email address
- Your children's names, dates of birth, and contact information
- Financial information for donations
- Health or religious information related to pastoral care
We use this information to:
- Maintain internal records
- Improve our services
- Process donations and administer Gift Aid
- Send you updates about events and church activities
- Provide pastoral support
We will never sell, distribute, or lease your personal information to third parties unless required by law or with your explicit permission.
3. Financial Data Security
All financial transactions comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Credit and debit card payments are processed securely through third-party providers. We do not store your card details on our systems.
4. How We Keep Your Information Safe
Your information is stored on secure servers operated by trusted third parties. Our database is cloud-based and protected by individual passwords with controlled access levels. Only authorized church staff, board members, and ministry leaders can access relevant portions of the database.
Your personal information stays within our church environment and is not shared with outside organizations without your express consent, except when necessary to fulfill the purpose for which you provided it.
5. Website Comments & Images
When you comment on our website, we collect the information shown in the comment form, plus your IP address for spam detection. If you upload images, avoid including location data, as visitors can extract this information.
6. Cookies
Our website uses minimal cookies for basic functionality. Comment cookies last one year for your convenience. Login cookies last two days, with an option to extend to two weeks if you select "Remember Me."
7. Third-Party Content
Our website may include embedded content from other sites (videos, images, etc.). These external sites have their own privacy policies and data collection practices.
8. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes collected, including legal and accounting requirements. Comments are retained indefinitely to streamline future comment approval.
9. Third-Party Services
We use Google Analytics for anonymous website statistics and other third-party services that comply with privacy standards.
10. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access information we hold about you
- Request changes, amendments, or deletion of your data
- Ask us to stop contacting you
- Restrict how we process your information
We aim to respond to all requests within 30 days. Contact us using the information below to exercise these rights.
11. Contact Us
Privacy-related correspondence:
The Vicar
St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church
73 Ellis Street, Newton, MA 02464
Effective Date: January 1, 2025