Worship
St Mary's is part of a joint benefice which include Swine, Skirlaugh, Bewholme, Long Riston, Catwick, Sigglesthorne, and Ellerby.
Services are held approximately once a month at the church, and are publicised on the church noticeboard, and in the Parish Newsletter, which is delivered free to households in the benefice.
Vicar: Rev David Messer
Church Wardens: Susan Yu, Pat Porter
Next Service: see church noticeboard
For more information about St Mary's see: St Mary - A Church Near You
The Building
The church is not generally open without prior arrangement, but does hold open days every year which are advertised locally. It features a huge clear glass East window which fills the church with natural light, and can be quite spectacular on a sunny day. Designated a Grade I listed building in 1966, both the church and the site of the Cistercian Nunnery behind it are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. The church has a long and interesting history and contains some interesting features which attract visitors from historical groups, particularly those interested in Medieval history. The Victorians undertook some much needed repairs and refurbishment towards the end of the 19th century, and the pews in the nave are from that period, but the screens across to the north-east chapel and to the chancel include parts of two reused screens from the sixteenth century (c1531). Tombs and a chapel inside the church are dedicated to members of the Hilton family. The Hiltons of Swine belonged to a cadet branch of the baronial family of Hilton, and are known to have settled in Holderness by the early 13th century.
The churchyard houses the War Memorial commemorating soldiers lost in the war from both Swine and Coniston
The wooden clock face that hangs on church the tower was replaced in 2025, after years of fundraising by the village. Replacement was a costly affair, made more complicated by the restrictions of listed buildings. People of the village organised various fund raising events to pay for it. They still raise funds for annual maintenance of the clock, as the church authorities refuse to pay for it.
