Mother-daughter duo’s gingerbread replica of long-awaited new Catholic school is ‘a labor of love’

The new St. Mary’s School in Breckenridge, Minn., in the Diocese of St. Cloud, opened this fall after nearly 10 years of planning and 15 months of construction.

As the community watched the building go up, Sue Holzbauer and her daughter, Bailey Thompson, were particularly interested in how it all came together.

For the past 26 years, Sue and Bailey have created special gingerbread houses for the holidays and when they learned the school was under construction, they decided this would be their next bread “house.” of spice.

“When it was announced that the new school was finally going to become a reality, I told Bailey we should make it like a gingerbread house once it was finished,” Sue said. “So we had the idea in mind for over a year. »

They watched the construction of the school carefully as it unfolded, Sue said, always thinking about what ingredients they could use to make the different elements of the school and church buildings.

“Of course, as the school grew, we were a little nervous about the scale of this project,” she told Central Minnesota Catholic, the St. Cloud diocesan magazine.

They started work in early November, taking advantage of a few days off to get a head start on planning and preparation.

Tom Haire, the school principal, provided a detailed map of the school to help Sue determine the correct measurements. She used her quilting skills to create a pattern.

They started by making a template with poster board, using this to make the cutting pattern for the gingerbread pieces. They ended up cutting a total of 76 individual pieces made from 10 batches of dough to construct the finished 26-inch by 48-inch project.

“They did an amazing job capturing the essence of the school and church in their gingerbread replica,” Haire said. “The attention to detail is remarkable. The stained glass windows of the church, the Sainte-Marie sign in front of the school, the depictions of Sue’s grandchildren in front – even the John Deere emblem on one of the backpacks – and the colors and The architecture as a whole is all perfect. on.”

Haire is also depicted in one of the figures in front of the school.

“It’s an honor to be included,” he said. “People recognize right away that it’s me wearing my typical blue shirt, brown khakis and greeting students at the door.”

Sue started the gingerbread house tradition when Bailey and her brother Skyler were young.

“At first it was just a fun activity to do with the kids, but after about three years we saw a gingerbread house barn that looked a lot like my parents’ lake cabin and decided to create ‘the E and B cabin’,” Sue said. . “After that, we started choosing a theme every year.”

Over the years, they’ve drawn inspiration from favorite Christmas movies, like “Christmas Vacation,” “Elf” and “Home Alone,” as well as children’s favorite things, like the Dreamhouse Barbie.

Some themes were about special places, like the family cabin or places the family visited. St. Mary’s School is one of those special places for the Holzbauer family.

Four generations of the family have attended St. Mary’s, including Sue’s three grandchildren, who are currently students.

Sue volunteered at the school library and store when her children were students at St. Mary’s and she enjoyed working on a school fundraiser, she said. Skyler and his wife, Megan, are also very involved in various volunteer roles at the school.

“Their family is a great example of our school’s mission and our purpose here on earth to know, love and serve the Lord,” Haire said. “The gingerbread project at school and church was a labor of love by Sue and Bailey for our faith community and many others. We are fortunate to have them share with us the talents that God has given us. It brought so much joy.

Haire said her students loved seeing the gingerbread house on display at the school.

“They are amazed by the way the church lights up and some of the younger students have asked when they will get a chance to eat it,” he said. “When we tell them the number of hours and all the ingredients it took, they are simply amazed.”

Father Leo Moenkedick, pastor of St. Mary’s, is also pictured in the project, standing in front of the church, Sue said.

“The gingerbread model of the church and school is incredible, it’s amazing how detailed it is,” he said. “It’s an honor to be included in such a great work of love.”

Father Moenkedick said attention to the gingerbread model in local media spurred interest in the new school.

“The time and effort devoted to the Gingerbread Project demonstrates a great love for the Catholic education of our children,” he said. “The big challenge will be to live up to the high expectations by providing a quality Catholic education to our students for many years. »

St. Mary’s Gingerbread School by the Numbers: Finished size: 26″ by 48″; 10 batches of gingerbread dough; 14 pounds of powdered sugar; 19 pounds of flour; 36 eggs; 6 pounds of fondant; 6 pounds of Rice Krispies treats; 76 individual pieces of gingerbread cut and baked; and more than 150 hours of work.

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