A child in my daughter's class lost his mother very recently. We went to the viewing last night at the local Catholic Church. In the foyer area there was a bulletin board with pamphlets regarding child sex abuse, including by the church, in both English and Spanish. Plus domestic violence pamphlets and other social problems such as depression. There were sign up sheets for helping those in need for food and heating assistance & house cleaning for the disabled and elderly and so forth....SO VERY DIFFERENT from what would be on the 'information' board at the Kingdom Hall. Where all we would get were talk assignment info, Watchtower readers, Public Talk schedule. The Catholics seems so much more interested in the average congregant than the JW's. They see a need and fill it rather than wishing them to be well fed and walking away.
The Father immediately introduced himself to us and asked who we were. The church was very clean and modest. I expected to see crosses and icons everywhere, and there was only a simple photo of Jesus, not on the the cross, but with his arms outstretched (think something from The Greatest Man book). Every thing was quite modern and understated. This church was probably built in the 1950-1960's. Not a European Renaisance style, but I still was expecting more religious imagery than there was (due to my early childhood training that Catholics use graven images in there worship, so they are idolators).
It was definitely an eye-opener and a true example of why JW's shouldn't trust everything they've ever read. Hubby even commented on the modesty of the church.