Baumbach Visits Wisconsin, Leaves Impressed

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Dr. Gerard Baumbach, director of the University of Notre Dame's Echo Program, told Milwaukee House residents that he was thrilled with their community during the first of his annual house visits Monday.

"Congratulations to you," Baumbach said to Echoites Thomas J. Action, Izzie Garcia and Mike Laskey. "When I see what you've done here, my heart sings."

Baumbach spent Monday night touring the Milwaukee home, and was particularly struck by the house's prayer room, large deck, and official mascot, Poko the goose. After the tour, the impressed Baumbach treated the three men to an upscale dinner at Brookfield's North Star American Bistro, joking that he would take the residents of Peoria to Burger King Wednesday night to save funds.

Baumbach spent Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday touring the Echo parishes in the area, meeting with apprentices, mentors, and apprentices and mentors, and occasionally breaking into spontaneous prayer.

Baumbach has been visiting parishes to get a sense of what he calls their "climate and culture" for the past five years, after spending a quarter-century in catechetical publishing. "No two parishes are identical," he said. Due to time restrictions, Headless Clown researchers were unable to complete a full survey of American Catholic parishes to verify this claim.

"It was really nice to see Jer-Bear," one house member said, on the condition of anonymity. "I especially liked the free dinner, and he brought along a box of chocolates from the South Bend Chocolate Company. Those were delicious."