Prayers offered at vigil for Dublin stabbing victim

Caio Benicio and Nathan Whelan were at the vigil to pray for the five-year-old girl who was stabbed outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire last month. 

Around 30 people gathered at the Spire on O’Connell Street in Dublin tonight for a second week, to pray for the five-year-old girl who was stabbed outside her school recently.

Parents brought their children along to light candles and say a decade of the rosary for the child who remains in a critical condition in hospital.

It’s the second week the group met to pray in the city for the little girl who was injured in a knife attack outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on November 23.

Three children were injured in the horrific attack, as was creche worker Leanne Flynn who also remains in hospital.

The vigil was held across from the GPO before the group walked to Temple Street Hospital where the child is hospitalised.

Organiser of the event Nathan Whelan told the Irish Examiner: “We just want to do something for her. 

We want to help in any way we can and it’s coming up to Christmas we can’t imagine what that family is going through.

“We just want to say a few prayers and light a candle for her and for the family to know they have our support.

“We will keep meeting every Thursday evening until we hear more”, he said.

One of the parents from the school where the knife attack happened said there was a meeting with teachers on Wednesday night about counselling services for the children.

One mother said: “We were being offered supports for the children and being advised to let them talk about their worries. 

"The kids are all confused. All we really can do is pray for her”.

One of the rescuers, Deliveroo driver Caio Benicio, who intervened to help stop the attack, also joined the vigil.