Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the Archbishop of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon today visited Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds where Ann Maguire was stabbed to death in a classroom last week.
The Church leaders prayed with the local community for the 61-year-old teacher, and passed on the condolences of all bishops from England and Wales who have gathered in Leeds this week for their plenary meeting.
A spokesman for the Bishops' Conference said: "They have been greatly moved by the resilience, prayerfulness and dignity of the community at this tragic time. They are keeping Ann Maguire and her family in their prayers at this time."
The visit came after Mrs Maguire was remembered during special prayers during Masses at some 90 Catholic churches in West Yorkshire, with a combined congregation of 32,000, on Sunday.
Mgr John Wilson, the Leeds Diocese’s administrator, had written to the churches: “It goes without saying, but please would you pray especially for Ann, her family and the college and local community. It is in the strength of prayer that we stand united in faith.”
Meanwhile, a book of condolence was opened at Leeds Cathedral, with members of the public writing their tributes and prayers for Mrs Maguire, who taught Spanish and RE and was due to retire within weeks of her death.
A memorial service will be held at the Cathedral in due course for the teacher, who was married to Donald Maguire, 62, and the mother of daughters Kerry, 32 and Emma, 30.
Earlier this week, hundreds of pupils from Corpus Christi gathered for memorial football matches outside the school, each wearing shirts with "Maguire 61" printed on the back. The games, which were preceded by one minute silences, were aimed at raising money for the forthcoming memorial.
On Saturday, the National Association of Head Teachers conference in Birmingham held a minute's silence in memory of Mrs Maguire.
A 15-year-old boy was last week charged over the murder, the first of a teacher in a classroom since the Dunblane killings in 1996.
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