DigiPal is a comprehensive mobile application designed to enhance the connection and collaboration among members of the Catholic community and with the Church structure itself in the Diocese of Palghat. It serves as a centralized platform for networking, information, and spiritual nourishment.

🕊️ Spiritual Connect

The app acts as a digital companion to help users stay deeply rooted in the Catholic faith.

• Daily Resources: Access daily Notices from the Diocese and Parish Office, Members details, Parish and other Institutes Details in the Diocese and outside Diocese, Mass readings, traditional prayers, liturgical calendars, information on Catholic festivals, and saint profiles.
• Live Stream Access: Tune into live streams of Holy Mass, adoration, retreats, and other important church services and programs directly through the app within the Diocese.
• Devotional Content: Explore a library of reflections, homilies, and catechetical videos to aid personal spiritual growth.

🏘️ Parish & Diocesan Connect

DigiPal strengthens the organizational link between Catholics and their local church bodies.

• • Church Locator: Easily find the nearest church or parish, complete with Mass schedules, contact information, and directions.
  • Official Communication: Receive real-time news feeds, official announcements, and event schedules at the parish, diocesan levels.
  • Community Collaboration: A platform for parish groups (Association, Départements, Movements, choirs, youth, outreach ministries, etc.) to coordinate activities, share updates, and communicate securely.

• Digital Offering: Facilitates secure, convenient options for tithing and special collections to support the parish and diocese.

Digipal Mobile Application Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 27, 2025 Last Updated: December 01, 2025.

This Privacy Policy governs the manner in which The Diocese of Palghat (“Diocese,” “We,” “Us,” or “Our”) collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information collected from users (each, a “User,” “You”) of the Digipal mobile application (“App”).

1. Introduction and Scope

The Digipal App is developed and operated by the Diocese of Palghat to facilitate communication, organize events, and share notifications and essential information between the Diocese, the Parish Offices, and the registered Parish members.

By using the Digipal App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in two main categories: information you provide voluntarily (often via the Parish Office) and information that is automatically collected by the App.

2.1. Information Provided Voluntarily (Parish Data)

This information is typically collected and verified by your respective Parish Office and is essential for establishing your identity as a member of the Diocese and your parish community.

• Identity Data: Full Name, Parish/Unit of membership.
• Contact Data: Residential Address, Personal Mobile Phone Number, Email Address.
• Family/Household Data: Information necessary to link you to other family members within the parish for directory purposes.
• Consent Records: Records detailing your explicit consent for specific data sharing purposes (see Section 4).

2.2. Information Collected Automatically

When you use the App, certain data is automatically collected for performance and security purposes:

• Device and Usage Data: Information about how you access and use the App, including device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, IP address, crash reports, and the frequency and duration of your activity within the App.
• Notification Tokens: Unique tokens required to send you Push Notifications for events, news, and announcements.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following primary purposes:

• To Provide Core Services: To authenticate your identity and grant you access to content and features relevant to your parish and the Diocese.
• Communication: To send you essential notifications, event reminders, and official announcements from the Diocese and your Parish Office via push notifications, SMS, or email.
• Internal Administration: To manage user accounts, maintain an accurate electronic registry of members, and perform necessary administrative functions within the Diocese and Parish Offices.
• App Improvement: To monitor usage patterns, diagnose technical problems, and enhance the performance and functionality of the App.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure — The Role of the Parish Office

The Diocese of Palghat values your privacy. We do not sell your Personal Information to any third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.

Your data is primarily shared within the community structure of the Diocese and Parish, under a system of controlled, explicit consent. No other parish or member is accessing your personal data other than your members in the parish.

4.1. Sharing with the Parish Office and Diocesan Administration

Your data is shared with authorized personnel in your Parish Office and the Diocese for administrative purposes (e.g., verifying membership status, sending official correspondence). These personnel are bound by confidentiality agreements.

4.2. Sharing with Other Parish Members (Directory Feature – Consent Required)

The core purpose of Digipal is community building. Therefore, certain contact information may be shared with other verified members of your same parish only through the App’s internal Directory feature.

This sharing occurs ONLY under the following conditions:

1. Explicit Consent: You must provide specific, explicit consent to your Parish Office to include your contact details (e.g., name, phone number) in the in-App directory visible to other verified parish members.
2. Consent Management: The Parish Office acts as the administrator and gatekeeper for this consent. You must formalize your consent (or withdrawal of consent) directly through them, and the App will only display the data that the Parish Office confirms you have approved for community sharing.
3. Limited Purpose: The shared information is strictly for community, fellowship, and emergency communication among verified parish members.

4.3. Sharing with Third-Party Service Providers

We may employ third-party companies and individuals to facilitate our App (e.g., hosting, analytics, push notification delivery). These third parties have access to your Personal Information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

5. Data Security

We are committed to protecting the security of your Personal Information. We employ reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of data stored on our servers. This includes data encryption in transit (SSL/TLS) and controlled access to the member database for authorized personnel only.

Note: No method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

You have the following rights concerning your Personal Information processed by the Diocese of Palghat:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to Deletion (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request the deletion of your account and all associated Personal Information, subject to legal and official data retention requirements.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent for data sharing (e.g., inclusion in the community directory) at any time by contacting your respective Parish Office directly. Once your Parish Office processes the request, your information will be removed from the shared directory.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact the designated contact person listed in Section 10.

7. Data Retention

We retain Personal Information only for as long as necessary to provide the App’s services, maintain your active membership within the Diocese, and fulfill official record-keeping duties as required by canon law and/or civil law. Data used solely for communications and events will be deleted or anonymized when it is no longer relevant.

8. Children’s Privacy

The Digipal App is intended for use by adults or by parents/guardians on behalf of their children. We do not knowingly collect or show personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Information from a child without parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy within the App and/or on our official website. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted.

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or if you wish to exercise your data rights, please contact the Diocese of Palghat’s designated representative:

Data Protection Coordinator Diocese of Palghat (Palakkad) Bishop’s Office, Noorani P.O., Vennakkara,  Palakkad, Kerala, India – 678004., Tel: +91 491-2515277 or 2525129
Fax: +91 491-2525129, E-mail: palghatdiocese@gmail.com Dedicated Privacy/IT Email, palghatdiocese@gmail.com Phone: +91 491-2515277