ARTICLE I
PURPOSE, MISSION, AND CONTEXT

Divine Mercies Inc. ("Divine Mercies," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, and personal data of all individuals who interact with our organization, including clergy, religious, volunteers, donors, collaborators, and members of the general public.

Divine Mercies is a Catholic-inspired nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Christian vocational discernment and community development, particularly among at-risk and vulnerable populations, through reverent testimony, archival preservation, and mission-aligned outreach.

This Privacy Policy is written to conform with United States Conference of Catholic Bishops norms, Catholic Mutual Group best-practice recommendations, diocesan Safe Environment principles, canonical principles of dignity and confidentiality, and applicable federal and New York State privacy laws.

Use of the Divine Mercies website (divinemercies.org) constitutes acknowledgment of and consent to the practices described herein.

ARTICLE II
INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect information only to the extent necessary to carry out our charitable, pastoral, educational, and administrative mission.

Personal information you may voluntarily provide includes:

• First and last name
• Mailing address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Employer and job title
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Age, when required for safeguarding compliance

In limited circumstances and solely for ecclesial or safeguarding purposes, we may collect:

• Religious affiliation
• Confirmation of good standing with a diocese or religious community
• Vocational suitability information relevant to ministry roles

Such information is collected exclusively for religious, pastoral, or safeguarding purposes and is never used for commercial profiling, marketing, or resale.

When donations or purchases are made, payment card information is processed through secure third-party payment processors. Divine Mercies does not store full credit card numbers on its servers.

ARTICLE III
INFORMATION WE DO NOT COLLECT

We do not knowingly collect data from children under the age of thirteen without verified parental or guardian consent.
We do not sell, trade, rent, or monetize personal data.
We do not engage in commercial behavioral advertising.

ARTICLE IV
AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTED INFORMATION

We may automatically collect limited technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, access times, and referring URLs. This information is used solely to maintain site functionality, improve user experience, monitor security, and generate anonymized usage statistics.

ARTICLE V
COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Cookies may be used to improve site navigation and remember user preferences. Users may disable cookies through browser settings, though doing so may limit certain site features. Cookies are not used for third-party commercial advertising or profiling.

ARTICLE VI
USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Personal information is used only for mission-related communications, volunteer and program administration, donation processing and acknowledgments, ecclesial safeguarding and compliance, and legal, accounting, and governance requirements.

ARTICLE VII
SHARING INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTIES

Divine Mercies does not sell or lease personal information. Limited information may be shared with trusted service providers solely to perform designated services, subject to confidentiality and data protection obligations. Information may be disclosed if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of Divine Mercies and its mission.

ARTICLE VIII
SAFEGUARDING OF MINORS AND VULNERABLE PERSONS

Divine Mercies applies heightened safeguards when information involves minors or vulnerable adults. Access is restricted to authorized personnel only, limited to safeguarding and mission-critical purposes, and aligned with diocesan Safe Environment principles.

ARTICLE IX
DATA SECURITY

Reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are used, including SSL encryption and secure hosting environments. While no system is completely secure, Divine Mercies commits to prompt response and remediation should a data incident occur.

ARTICLE X
DATA RETENTION AND DELETION RIGHTS

Personal data is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill its original purpose or meet legal obligations. Upon verified request, individuals may request deletion of personal data, subject to legal, financial, and safeguarding exceptions.

Requests may be submitted to [email protected].

ARTICLE XI
COMMUNICATIONS AND OPT-OUT

Users may opt out of non-essential communications at any time. Opt-out requests are honored promptly without retaliation or denial of services.

ARTICLE XII
THIRD-PARTY STORAGE AND PROCESSING

Data may be stored on secure servers operated by third-party vendors under written agreements requiring confidentiality and data protection.

ARTICLE XIII
POLICY UPDATES

This policy may be updated periodically. Material changes will be communicated via website notice or direct email where appropriate. Continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

ARTICLE XIV
CONTACT INFORMATION

Divine Mercies Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.divinemercies.org

ARTICLE I
PURPOSE, MISSION, AND CONTEXT

Divine Mercies Inc. ("Divine Mercies," "we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, and personal data of all individuals who interact with our organization, including clergy, religious, volunteers, donors, collaborators, and members of the general public.

Divine Mercies is a Catholic-inspired nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Christian vocational discernment and community development, particularly among at-risk and vulnerable populations, through reverent testimony, archival preservation, and mission-aligned outreach.

This Privacy Policy is written to conform with United States Conference of Catholic Bishops norms, Catholic Mutual Group best-practice recommendations, diocesan Safe Environment principles, canonical principles of dignity and confidentiality, and applicable federal and New York State privacy laws.

Use of the Divine Mercies website (divinemercies.org) constitutes acknowledgment of and consent to the practices described herein.