Parish Census Portal – User Manual

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Overview

The Matthew Connector Plugin allows parish members to register their households and manage family member information through a secure web portal.

Key Features

• Household Registration: Create and manage household accounts
• Member Management: Add, edit, and remove family members
• Sacramental Records: Track baptism, first communion, and confirmation details
• Certificate Upload: Upload and manage sacramental certificates
• Secure Access: Token-based authentication for data protection

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Registration

Creating Your Household Account

1. Navigate to the Parish Portal on your parish website
2. Click on the Registration tab in the login area
3. Fill in the required household information:
   • Household Name: Enter your family name (e.g., “The Smith Family”)
   • Primary Contact Email: Use an email address you check regularly
   • Phone Number: Your primary contact number
   • Address: Your complete mailing address
4. Create a secure password:
   • Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols
   • Make it at least 8 characters long
   • Don’t use easily guessed information
5. Click “Register Household”
6. You will be logged in automatically

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Logging In

Accessing Your Account

1. Go to the Parish Portal on your parish website
2. Enter your credentials:
   • Email: The email address you used during registration
   • Password: Your chosen password
3. Click “Login”
4. Wait for the system to authenticate and load your household management dashboard

If You Forget Your Password

Currently, password reset functionality requires contacting parish administration. Please reach out to your parish office with your registered email address for assistance.

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Managing Your Household

Household Information Tab

Once logged in, you’ll see tabs for managing different aspects of your household:

Updating Household Details

1. Click on the “Household” tab
2. Review and update information as needed:
   • Household name
   • Contact email
   • Phone number
   • Mailing address
3. Click “Update Household” to save changes
4. Confirmation message will appear when changes are saved

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Adding New Members

Members Tab

The Members tab allows you to add and manage all household members.

Adding a New Family Member

1. Click on the “Members” tab
2. Click “Add Member” button
3. Fill in the member’s basic information:
   • First Name: Member’s given name
   • Last Name: Member’s family name
   • ID Number: Any official identification number (optional)
   • Date of Birth: Use the date picker to select
   • Email: Member’s personal email (if applicable)
   • Phone: Member’s personal phone number (if applicable)
   • Occupation: Current job or role (optional)
   • Skills: Special skills or talents (optional)

Sacramental Information

4. Check appropriate sacrament boxes and fill in details:Baptism
   • ☑ Check “Baptised” if applicable
   • Date: When the baptism occurred
   • Parish: Where the baptism took place

   First Communion

   • ☑ Check “First Communion” if applicable
   • Date: When first communion was received
   • Parish: Where it took place

   Confirmation

   • ☑ Check “Confirmed” if applicable
   • Date: When confirmation was received
   • Parish: Where it took place
5. Click “Save Member” to create the member record

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Updating Existing Members

Editing Member Information

1. In the Members tab, find the member you want to update
2. Click “Edit” button next to their name
3. Modify any information as needed
4. Update sacramental information if necessary
5. Upload or manage certificates (see Certificate Management section)
6. Click “Save Member” to apply changes

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Certificate Management

Understanding Certificate Status

For each sacrament, you’ll see different displays based on certificate status:

When No Certificate Exists

• Help text: “Upload a [Sacrament] certificate:”
• File input: Choose file button available
• Status: No current certificate display

When Certificate Exists

• Current Certificate: Shows “Current Certificate” with Download and Remove buttons
• Help text: “Replace the [Sacrament] certificate:”
• File input: Choose file button for replacement

Uploading Certificates

1. Ensure the member is saved (required for new members)
2. Click “Choose file” under the appropriate sacrament
3. Select your certificate file:
   • Supported formats: PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG
   • Recommended: PDF for best quality and compatibility
4. File uploads automatically when selected
5. Success message confirms upload completion

Managing Existing Certificates

Downloading Certificates

• Click “Download” next to “Current Certificate”
• File saves with format: “[Member Name] [Sacrament] Certificate.[extension]”
• Example: “John Smith Baptism Certificate.pdf”

Replacing Certificates

• Click “Choose file” to select a new certificate
• New file replaces the existing certificate
• Previous certificate is permanently removed

Removing Certificates

• Click “Remove” next to “Current Certificate”
• Confirm deletion when prompted
• Certificate is permanently deleted from the system

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Login Problems

Issue: Can’t log in with correct credentials

• Solution: Ensure caps lock is off, try typing password manually
• Contact: Parish office if problems persist

Upload Failures

Issue: Certificate won’t upload

• Check: File format (PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG only)
• Check: File size (contact parish for size limits)
• Try: Different browser or device

Missing Information

Issue: Previously entered information is gone

• Solution: Information is saved automatically, try refreshing the page
• Contact: Parish office if data loss persists

Certificate Upload Notice

Issue: “Please save the member first” message appears

• Solution: This is normal for new members – save the member first, then edit to upload certificates

Browser Compatibility

The system works best with modern browsers:

• Chrome (recommended)
• Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge

⚠️ Internet Explorer may have limited functionality

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Support

Getting Help

Parish Office Contact

For technical issues, account problems, or questions about your records:

• Contact your parish office directly
• Provide your registered email address
• Describe the specific issue you’re experiencing

Data Privacy

Your household and member information is:

• Securely stored and encrypted
• Only accessible by authorized parish staff
• Used solely for parish administration and communication
• Never shared with unauthorized third parties

System Updates

• The system may occasionally be updated with new features
• Your data remains safe during updates
• New features will be announced by your parish

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Quick Reference

Common Tasks

Task	Steps
Register	Registration tab → Fill form → Register Household
Login	Enter email/password → Login
Add Member	Members tab → Add Member → Fill form → Save
Upload Certificate	Edit member → Choose file → Upload automatically
Download Certificate	Find member → Current Certificate → Download
Update Info	Edit member → Modify fields → Save

File Types Supported

• PDF (recommended)
• JPG/JPEG
• PNG