Denver, Colo., Jul 24, 2006 / 22:00 pm
On Monday evening, St. Thomas More parish in the south Denver suburb of Centennial was packed with a standing room only crowd who came bearing their concerns over the nation’s growing immigration problem. Archbishop Charles Chaput was on hand to answer questions and reiterate his call for civility and compassion in the heated national debate.
The Archdiocese of Denver called the event a town hall meeting; the second so far in a series aimed at emphasizing “the importance of civil dialogue when discussing comprehensive immigration reform.”
According to the Denver Rocky Mountain News, tensions ran high as the largely Anglo audience expressed fears and concerns ranging from a perceived reluctance to learn English to the effect of immigration on local hospitals and schools.
The crowd also showed its support however, for several immigrant workers who spoke out at the forum.