The community was out in force last night to show its support for four international peace workers who were taken hostage in Iraq last month.

About 200 people attended a prayer vigil held in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Whitehorse, Mark Connell, one of the organizers, said in an interview today.

While he was only expecting 10 to 20 people at the vigil, he described the turnout as 'amazing.

'It's certainly something that has grabbed the attention of the community,' he said.

Two of the hostages are Canadians, 41-year-old James Loney and 32-year-old Harmeet Sooden.

The other two men are a U.S. resident and a British citizen.

All of the hostages, who were taken on Nov. 26, were working in Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Team, an organization that believes in passively promoting peace.

Loney, a Toronto native, is a personal friend of Connell and his wife, Maura Sullivan.

Connel said a number of their friends have travelled to Iraq with the organization even before the U.S. invasion, including Sullivan's father.

The threat of danger their loved ones faced while working in the war-torn country was always in the back of their minds, Connell said.

'When we heard it was a close friend of ours, there was an overwhelming sense of powerlessness,' he said.

'We were trying to think of things that we could do and there was nothing we could do except for pray and hope, really.'

The vigil was organized for Wednesday night because the group that kidnapped the four volunteers, called the Swords of Righteousness Brigade, threatened to execute the hostages unless all Iraqi prisoners being held in Iraq and the U.S. were released.

It was among approximately 300 vigils that have been held across North America since the four men were abducted, Connell stated.

The group has since extended the deadline until Sunday.

'We were really thankful yesterday to hear about the extension,' he said. 'It was a small sign of hope.'

The atmosphere at the vigil was incredibly supportive and prayerful, Connell said from his home in Whitehorse.

There was a feeling of hope, he added.

'In a sense last night, a lot of people felt the need to gather together as a community and be together, and to talk about it, and to pray for hope.'

The Christian Peacemaker Team is inviting people to hold vigils again this Saturday.

That day will mark the eve of the new deadline and the United Nations' International Human Rights Day. This year's focus is torture and global efforts to fight it.

At the end of last night's gathering, people were asked to extend their vigils until the hostages are released.

It is important not to lose sight of why Loney and the other peace workers were in Iraq to begin with, Connell said.

'Reflecting on (the abduction) over the past couple days�- there's thousand of Iraqis that are in the same situation.

'It's sort of sad that it hasn't been a big issue for us. Because it's something that's been happening. Especially for everyday Iraqis, who are being imprisoned with no trial and their parents don't know where they are.'

Canadians need to understand and be aware of what's going on in war-torn and conflict-ridden countries, he said.

'One of the reasons why we admire the (Christian Peacemaker Team volunteers) so much is they're people who've chosen to put their lives on the line to stand up for people who have no voice

'It think that's something that can inspire us as a community in Whitehorse.'

Until Sunday, Connell encourages Yukoners to keep the hostages in their thoughts.

'It's really important just to remain hopeful,' he said.