Privacy Policy
How Our Lady of Annunciation (OLA) Cathedral Parish Tamale — developer and operator of olatamale.org and the OLA Tamale / OLA Cathedral Parish Tamale Android application (package org.olatamale.parish) — collects, uses, protects, and manages your personal information.
1. Information We Collect
When you browse our public pages (such as Mass schedules, daily readings, announcements, and the weekly bulletin), no personal account is required. When you register for a parishioner or leadership account, submit prayer or Mass requests, list a business in the parish directory, or record parish contributions, we may collect:
- Account & Identity Information: Full name, gender, date of birth, parishioner ID, and household/family details.
- Contact Information: Email address, phone number (for SMS/WhatsApp verification and parish alerts), and residential address.
- Parish & Sacramental Records: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony records, society/group memberships, Mass intentions, and contribution/tithe receipts.
- User-Uploaded Photos & Files: Optional profile photos, business directory images, or supporting documents that you explicitly choose to upload.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information you provide strictly to support parish ministry and administration:
- Authenticating your parishioner or leadership sign-in session and maintaining accurate parish census and sacramental records.
- Processing Mass intentions, prayer requests, event registrations, and official contribution receipts.
- Sending parish announcements, liturgical reminders, or verification codes that you have requested.
3. Mobile App Permissions & Camera / File Uploads
The OLA Cathedral Parish Android application accesses the internet (INTERNET and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE) to load live parish content and detect offline states. When you choose to upload an image (for example, updating your profile photo or submitting a business listing image), the app delegates to the Android system file picker or your device's camera app via a temporary scoped URI (FileProvider). The app does not access your camera, microphone, photos, or contacts in the background.
4. Data Security & Encryption in Transit
All data transmitted between the OLA Cathedral Parish Android application / website and our servers is encrypted in transit over secure HTTPS (TLS) connections. Access to parish records is restricted by role-based access control: parishioners can view only their own profile and records, while authorized priests, catechists, and parish administrators access only the records required for their pastoral duties. All administrative access is logged.
5. No Third-Party Advertising or Sale of Data
OLA Cathedral Parish does not display third-party advertisements in the app or on the website, and we never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to marketers or third parties. Trusted service providers (such as SMS delivery gateways for parish notifications or secure payment processors for voluntary online giving and Mass stipends) process data solely on our behalf to complete transactions you initiate.
6. Target Audience
Account registration and interactive features of the OLA Cathedral Parish platform are intended for adults aged 18 and over. Minor family members' sacramental records may only be submitted and managed by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized parish catechist.
7. Data Retention, Access & Account Deletion Requests
You may review and update your personal profile at any time by signing into your account. You also have the right to request the deletion of your online account and associated personal data. To request account or data deletion:
- Submit an Online Request Below: Registered users can use the authenticated form provided below to notify all admins, catechists, and priests of their parish directly.
- Email: Contact our Parish Data Administrator at info@olatamale.org with the subject line "Account Deletion Request" and include your registered name and phone number/email.
- In Person / Contact Form: Submit a deletion request through our Contact Page or in person at the OLA Cathedral Parish Office in Tamale.
Online account credentials, profile photos, and optional directory data will be permanently deleted within 14 days of verification (canonical sacramental register entries such as Baptism or Matrimony certificates are preserved in the physical diocesan archive as required by canon law).
Account Deletion Request Form
To protect parishioner security and ensure that accounts are only removed by their rightful owners, you must be logged in to submit an official account deletion request online.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact:
Our Lady of Annunciation (OLA) Cathedral Parish
Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale, Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana
Email: info@olatamale.org
Phone: +233 24 475 8838
Website: https://www.olatamale.org/
Effective Date: November 12, 2026 • Last updated: November 15, 2026.