Barra churches unite to remember victims of Manchester attack

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A vigil has taken place on a Scottish Island which has been deeply affected by the Manchester terror attack.

Barra,in the Outer Hebrides, is in mourning after people there learned that 14-year-old Eilidh MacLeod was among those killed in Monday's attack.

Her friend, 15-year-old Laura MacIntyre, is in hospital with serious injuries.

The vigil took place at Our Lady Star of the Sea church in Castlebay.

The island's Roman Catholic parish priest Fr John Paul MacKinnon told the BBC: 'We are just a small little island and yet the world has suddenly come to our little island and we are the centre of the world from everything that's happened in Manchester.

'People are weighed down. This dark cloud is just pushing down on all of us and we are trying to lift ourselves up. It's difficult.'

Church of Scotland minister Rev Dr Lindsay Schluter, from the Barra and South Uist congregations, said: 'This is a service of prayer for both families affected and the wider community – Barra and beyond.'

Around £20,000 has been raised in an appeal for the families already. 'Individually people have prayed for the families and all affected, the need for people to come together to do this in support of each other is evident especially as we are still awaiting further news of both Laura and Eilidh,' said Dr Schluter.

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