Privacy Policy
Your Privacy Matters to Us
This policy explains what personal information St. Philip Neri Catholic Church collects, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.
Last updated: 12 August 2026
1. Who We Are
St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, Messenger Road, Smethwick, Birmingham B66 3DU, is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information belonging to parishioners, visitors, and anyone who contacts us through our website.
Where this policy refers to "we", "us", or "the parish", it means St. Philip Neri Catholic Church acting as data controller for the information described below.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information you give us directly, such as when you fill in a contact form, register for the parish, book a Mass intention, or apply for a sacrament (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, RCIA, or First Holy Communion). This may include your name, address, phone number, email address, and details relevant to the sacrament or service requested.
For sacramental records, we may also collect information required by canon law and the Archdiocese, such as baptismal certificates, confirmation names, and godparent or sponsor details.
We do not knowingly collect any more information than is needed to provide the service you have asked for.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to respond to enquiries, process sacramental and administrative requests, maintain parish records, organise parish groups and events, and communicate parish news where you have asked to receive it.
We do not use your information for automated decision-making, and we do not sell or rent personal information to third parties.
4. Our Legal Basis for Processing
We process most personal information on the basis of consent, for example when you submit a form or subscribe to parish communications, or because processing is necessary to carry out a request you have made, such as arranging a sacrament.
Sacramental records are also kept in fulfilment of the parish's obligations under canon law and the requirements of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.
6. Safeguarding Information
Where personal information relates to a safeguarding matter, it is handled in line with the Archdiocese of Birmingham's safeguarding policy and shared only with our safeguarding representatives or relevant authorities where required to protect a child or vulnerable adult.
7. How Long We Keep Information
Sacramental records are retained permanently, in line with canon law and Archdiocesan requirements, as they form part of the enduring record of the Church. Other personal information, such as contact form submissions, is retained only for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry, unless you have asked to stay in touch with the parish.
8. Your Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you, to ask us to correct inaccurate information, to ask us to delete information we no longer need, and to withdraw consent to processing at any time where consent is the basis we rely on.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact the parish office using the details below. Sacramental records held under canon law may be subject to limits on deletion, which we will explain if this applies to your request.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or how your information is handled, please contact the parish office at stphilip.smethwick@rcaob.org.uk or 0121 558 1065.
For safeguarding concerns, please contact our Safeguarding Representative, Wendell Gopaul, at safeguarding@rcaob.org.uk or 0121 533 9382.