SAUK CITY — St. Aloysius School in Sauk City held its traditional Chili Cookoff on January 30 in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week.
This came after two years of postponing the get-together due to the pandemic.
The Chili Cookoff is a fundraiser for the school and also included a dessert raffle.
After thanking and welcoming the participants, Principal Daniela Saldana announced “It is also a tradition that during this nice environment of friendship and joy, we present to one of our alumni the St. Aloysius Distinguished Graduate Award. This year the award will go to our dear second grade teacher, Mrs. Kendra Marie Breunig.”
“We received Kendra’s nomination years ago,” Saldana continued.
“Different people have reached out supporting her nomination, but due to the pandemic we were forced to postpone this celebration.”
About the honoree
Breunig graduated from St. Aloysius School in 2004.
She continued her studies in Sauk Prairie schools and later at UW-Eau Claire where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2015.
She is married to Kevin Breunig and they have three boys ages eight, four, and one and a half.
“Anything I could say about Kendra will for sure fall short,” Saldana said. “How can you [describe] a life of a person who you see resembles more and more the image of Jesus.”
“Kendra is always kind, she is always patient, she never gets angry or mad about anything. She rejoices in the accomplishments of her students and with the good ideas of other teachers. She takes all constructive feedback with a positive attitude,” she continued.
As she was writing her notes about Breunig, Saldana said she realized she was simply paraphrasing the words of St. Paul and in awe “I thanked the Lord for letting us all at St. Al’s be around Kendra.”
She finished her accolades on Breunig with the apostle’s words, “Love is patient, love is kind, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth . . . ”
Letter of recommendation
Finally, Saldana said she had a letter of recommendation for Breunig to be nominated for the award from the late Randy Mack, a beloved parishioner, religious education teacher, and devout servant in so many ways at St. Aloysius.
He died in December of 2021.
Here is part of what he had to say about Kendra:
“Through the years I have known her, she has taken her Catholic faith very seriously. I was her religion teacher during her formation to get Confirmed . . . She was always so very insightful with her responses to our questions, showing her zeal for the Catholic faith.
“It did not stop in college where she stayed true to her Confirmation commitment to God by continuing to practice the faith, which is a place where Catholics and so many other faithful souls put aside their pursuit to holiness.
“Throughout college and to this day she continues to use her wonderful singing voice for weddings, funerals, and as a cantor at weekend Masses.”
According to Saldana, “Right out of college, Kendra applied for the job at St. Aloysius stating in her application, ‘Ever since I discerned that part of my vocation was to become an elementary teacher, my heart yearned to teach at a Catholic school. As an alumnus of St. Aloysius, I was very excited to learn of your second-grade opening.’”
To all surely it is a win-win or a match made in Heaven.