St Mary’s is the parish church for the village of Cottingham, and is part of the Church of England. That means we exist to serve any person who lives in these parishes, of all faiths and none. We welcome all. Our vocation is to pray for and serve our parish, and we seek to provide a compassionate, peaceful and prayerful heart for the community.

Our worship is centred on the Eucharist, which brings us together as the Body of Christ, and reminds us that we are now his hands and feet on earth. In what we say, in what we pray, and in what we do, we try to bear witness to the presence of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, in this world. We try to do this by living out the commandment to love God and to love our neighbour. St Mary’s is the oldest building in Cottingham, and the tradition of prayer and worship here goes back hundreds of years. Our aim is to keep this tradition alive and open now and into the future.

The parish of Cottingham: St Mary is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of York’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.