Prayers have been offered and vigils held in churches across Wakefield and Huddersfield for Batley and Spen MP, Jo Cox who died after being shot and stabbed outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall.
Over 300 people packed the pews in St Peter's Birstall for a vigil that was attended by Bishop Nick and Bishop Jonathan who said people had been left “overwhelmed by shock, grief and a sense of loss”.
Bishop Jonathan, the Bishop of Huddersfield continued: “We are here for each other and I know and I hope and I pray that we will be here for each other in the days ahead.”
Local MPs, Yvette Cooper, Mary Creagh , Nas Shah, Rachel Reeves, Caroline Flint and Dan Jarvis were all there to pay their respects to the Batley and Spen MP and earlier, the Wakefield Labour MP, Mary Creagh had told reporters that Jo died doing a job she loved in a constituency she loved.
Jonathan Rhodes, bellringer at St Peter's, lowered the flag to half mast at St Peter's Church during the vigil.
More than three hundred people gathered at a special service at Huddersfield Parish Church . Read more here
The service was for the three Kirklees MPs – Colne Valley’s, Jason McCartney, Dewsbury’s Paula Sherriff and Huddersfield’s Barry Sheerman to come together to remember Jo and each spoke candidly of their former colleague before giving readings from Psalm 142 and Jeremiah 9:10 and 31:15
Prayers were also said at Wakefield Cathedral, Halifax Minster and All Saints Church in Batley and yesterday the Church of England tweeted a prayer for Jo.
A touching image of a single candle has now been posted on Batley All Saints Church’s Twitter account with the hashtag #PrayForJoCox. Batley All Saints opened its doors with a book of condolence and an opportunity to light a candle.
Roberttown Church opened following the tragic incident and by evening saw many people through the doors. The vicar, the Revd Richard Burge said: "I have been particularly struck by the number of children who have brought their parents. Many have known Jo through school visits or Brownies or Scouts - she made a big impression wherever she went."
The vicar of St Peter's, the Revd Paul Knight said the vigil was to remember 'everything Jo Cox did for our community'.
Jo Cox, 41 was married with two young children. A former Heckmondwike Grammar school girl, gained her seat in last year’s elections with a 6,000-plus majority for Labour – 43 per cent of the vote. She was a former Oxfam activist and had a heart for the dispossessed and the disadvantaged.
Earlier Bishop Jonathan had led prayers and a sermon at Halifax Minster and during the afternoon both he and Bishop Nick expressed their sympathy and distress at the terrible news on the local media.
Wakefield Cathedral’s new canon precentor, the Revd Leah Vasey Saunders led prayers for all victims of gun crime but especially for Jo Cox at the city's Evensong and a book of condolence has been opened inside the Cathedral. More vigils are planned across the Wakefield and Huddersfield Episcopal Areas over the coming days.
A book of condolence was opened in memory of Jo in St. Helen's Hemsworth.
At St Mary's, Gomersal, the vicar, the Revd Karen Nicholl, lit a candle in church and posted a photo of it on the church facebook page to help people reflect and remember Jo with the words: The light shines in the darkness, the darkness will not overcome it.
The Kirklees Faith forum - which represents all the main faith groups in Kirklees - issued a statement on behalf of all faiths:
It said: Members of all our faith communities are deeply shocked by the dreadful murder of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox. We utterly condemn this terrible act of violence. Jo Cox dedicated her life to serving the people of our communities and to working for a fairer world for all. Our hearts go out to her family and friends, for whom each of us will be praying earnestly in the days ahead. We dedicate ourselves to doing all we can to honour her memory and to bring people together across our communities at this very sad time. The council issued an open invitation for people to join them in an organised multifaith reflection time in Batley Town Square with a message saying:
Jo Cox was much loved by Councillors, Officers and our residents. Her passion for people and politics shone and we will miss the light she brought to us all.
In Cleckheaton, St John's Church welcomed a steady stream of people during Friday morning all paying tribute to their much loved MP and "local girl" Jo Cox.
Most of those who attended the service were young mums and their children.
The Vicar of Cleckheaton, Brunel James, said: "There are a lot of people seeing this murder as an attack on women, and an attempt to silence bright young women and take away their right to be heard. But what Jo taught us is we should never be afraid, we should never hide away, and we should always fight to be heard whoever or wherever we are.
"Let us learn from this to carry on Jo's legacy for all the people she loved and who loved her," he added.
During the service, people wrote messages to Jo: here are some of them:
