By accessing the pages of this website, the user agrees to abide by the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy below. We reserve the right to revise these policies at any time.
Terms of use
Who we are
We are a community of Benedictine Sisters located in Cullman, Alabama, with a mission of witnessing Christ’s love to all peoples through a vowed life of monastic prayer, community, and ministry.
Our web address is shmon.org. On this website we provide information about our community and our ministries. We also provide an opportunity for website visitors to conveniently connect with us by way of a variety of on-line forms and donation or payment forms.
Site Content and Copyright
Site content is reviewed and updated regularly, but we do not warrant accuracy of information.
All content on this website, including logos, images, photographs, video, audio, graphic design elements, artwork, and text, is the property of the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama and is copyrighted © Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama, with the exception of the names and logos of website services, software vendors, and the names and logos of companies to which we provide a link.
On occasion, brief excerpts or quotes from external sources may be utilized; authorship will be attributed if author is known. Additionally, a third party may grant us permission to utilize contributed content. Their contribution will be denoted, and they will retain ownership and copyright of their material.
Content from this website may not be reproduced without prior written permission.
All content is provided “as is.”
Responsibilities of website users
Users of our website promise that all the information provided for event registration and for on-line donations or payments is accurate. If a user uploads content to a blog comment form, the user verifies that the content does not infringe on any intellectual property. The user grants permission for the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama to display the uploaded content on their website or blog.
Cookies
We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our website, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we are able to offer on our website.
If you leave a comment on our blog you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment.
Links and embedded content from other websites
Any links to external websites are for convenience and information only.
Content on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.) from external websites. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website. These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content.
The Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama assume no responsibility for the content or privacy policies of external sites, nor do we necessarily endorse these sites, their administrators, or their sponsors.
On-line credit card transactions
We utilize MLS Direct of Alabama as our credit card processor and Authorize.net as payment gateway. Transactions are subject to their terms, conditions, and policies.
MLS Direct Privacy Policy
Authorize.net Privacy Policy
Analytics
We use Google Analytics for research, site-monitoring purposes, and to collect aggregate data on the utilization of our website. Information collected in this manner will be used to evaluate and improve our website and services. We do not use this tool to collect personal information or to link the data to individual users.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
The Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama reserve the right to review, moderate, or remove comments.
Data breach procedures
If a data breach were to occur, we will contact those directly affected via email, phone, or U.S. Mail.
Privacy Policy
We value your concerns about privacy. We do not collect personal data on users of our website unless you specifically choose to disclose information by making a comment on our blog, subscribing to our e-newsletter, registering for a retreat or event, making a payment or donation, responding to a contact form, or other means. You may, however, visit our site anonymously without taking any of the actions above.
What personal data we collect
For commenting on our blog, you may be asked to enter your name, e-mail address, mailing address and/or phone number along with your comment.
For making an inquiry, response, or submission on a contact form, you may be asked to enter your name, e-mail address, mailing address and/or phone number along with the information you submit in the contact box.
For Retreat Center or event registrations, you may be asked to enter your name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, the event you wish to attend, and/or the dates of your requested retreat. Additional information may be requested in order for us to process your registration and/or respond to your inquiries for both individual and group retreats.
For donations or the payment of retreat deposits or registration fees, we will request payment information and personal information pertinent to completing the transaction.
Why we collect personal data
- To provide a convenient way for site visitors to:
- submit prayer requests
- make a donation
- register for an event and pay the deposit or registration fee
- sign up to receive e-news
- submit inquiries through the use of contact forms
- make a comment on our blog
- potential future uses
- To process transactions for donations, retreat deposits and registration fees
With whom do we share your data?
Any personal information you provide to us will not be sold, loaned, leased, traded, shared, or provided to third parties other than for the express purpose of delivering the service requested, such as the web-based vendors who provide us with e-newsletter services; on-line form capabilities; website hosting; donation or payment technologies; or when necessary for co-sponsors of Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center events or other Community events or services.
In this latter case of programs co-sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama or their Retreat Center and another entity (or entities), personal information pertinent to the registration process and event production may be shared with the co-sponsoring entity (or entities).
Personal information may be shared between the departments of Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama in course of ordinary business operations and to respond appropriately to the contact or inquiry that was submitted on this website.
Information submitted on our prayer request form will be posted in an area of Sacred Heart Monastery that is accessed primarily by sisters, but is occasionally accessible to monastery visitors.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
Visitor comments on the blog will be visible to website visitors.
How do we use your information?
We use the contact information and other data collected through our contact forms specifically for the purpose of that specified form. Information may be shared between the departments of Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama in course of ordinary business operations and to respond appropriately to the contact or inquiry that was submitted on this website.
How long will we retain your data?
If you leave a comment on the Good Zeal blog (or subsequent blogs), the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely.
Personal information collected through contact forms, retreat or event registration forms, and donation forms is retained indefinitely by the pertinent department(s) within the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama. The information will be used for the purpose for which the on-line form was completed.
How we protect your data
Externally, we use reputable vendors for website services who utilize industry-standard security procedures, software, and hardware. Internally within our organization, we have website protection systems in place to ensure your data will not be taken in an unauthorized manner. We also have office systems in place to secure personal information that is provided to us.
What rights you have over your data
If you have left a comment on our blog, you can request that we remove the comment. We will do so to the extent that it is technically possible for use to do so. If you have registered to receive e-newsletters and no longer wish to receive them, you may contact us with your request or you may use the ‘opt-out’ option within the e-newsletter. You may also request that we delete any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Form submission
By submitting a form on www.shmon.org, you give the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama permission to send any requested information to the corresponding person, street address, email, phone number, etc.
Online Privacy Policy Only
This online privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline, although we are equally cautious with all personal data.
Questions
If you have questions about our website policies, please contact:
Website Administrator
Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama
916 Convent Rd.
Cullman, AL 35055
shmon@shmon.org (subject line: attention website administrator)