Western Catholic Union

RECORDVol. 112, No. 1 ~ Spring, 2016 ~ 139th Year of Service ~ PO Box 410, Quincy, IL

“We’ll Build On The Past”From Roger Player, President & CEO, Western Catholic Union

Hello Members:

On January 1st, I assumed the duties of President & CEO of our Society. While I am new to the position, I am not new to Western Catholic Union. I have been a member for over 40 years.

I was first elected to the Board of Trustees in October 2000. I have been Chairman of the Board since July2011. Even before joining the Board in 2000, I knew a little about the business of WCU as my father, StevePlayer, had been with WCU for many years. Dad started out as Director of Sales and retired as National Treas-urer. From both Mom (Ceil) and Dad I learned about the good times had at the WCU branch functions and thegood works the branch members performed. Those good examples made it easy for me to accept the offer to runfor the Board in 2000. My own branch experiences and my association with the officers and staff of WCU werepositive influences in my decision to become the President & CEO.

WCU has been fraternally and financially serving its members since 1877. As in our personal lives, WCUhas endured through good times and bad. We have seen war and peace; boom and bust. Through it all, WCU

members have maintained the faith; supporting and bene-fitting each other and our communities. The work and funseen in our branches reflects the fraternal side of our Soci-ety. Sales of Life Insurance and Annuities, along withproper investment of that revenue provides the funds ourbranch members need to feel financially secure enough todonate some of their time, talent and treasure to theircommunities in the name of WCU.

During the last year, WCU’s branches raised more than $671,000 for charities in local communities, and inthe past seven years, that total exceeds more than $3.7million. I am proud of WCU’s outreach through ourbranches.

At a recent sales meeting I told the agents that, as President & CEO of WCU, “I am here not to break fromthe past, but to build on the past.” It is my duty to assure

that our mission, so ably followed for 139 years, is sustained into the future. With the support of my wife,Nancy, my staff, our agents and the work of our current and future branch members, WCU will prosper.

Western Catholic Union

R e c o r dThe Record has been the official publicationof the Western Catholic Union since March,

1905. It is a periodical published quarterly for$3 each year to WCU members and friends(USPS 677-780). Periodical postage paid at

Springfield, IL and at additional mailing sites.Postmaster: Send address changes

to:Editor, PO Box 410,

Quincy, IL 62306-0410.

Western Catholic Union is a member of the American Fraternal Alliance.

Jane Flachs - Managing Editor Steven L. Looten - Contributing Editor

****WCU Officers and Directors

President & CEORoger W. Player

Secretary/Treasurer & CFOKent D. Stegeman, FICF

National Sales DirectorRobert J. Ley

Vice President-Fraternal& Communications

Steven L. Looten

National Directors

August H. Boessen, III, Westphalia, MOJohn D. Bruner, Brownstown, IL

Joseph F. Grawe, Quincy, ILPhilip J. Hildebrand, Jr., Quincy, IL

David P. Hutt, Troy, ILJames R. Obert, Quincy, IL

Tracy A. Orne, Quincy, ILCorinn A. Puleo, St. Thomas, MO

Sherri L. Schaefer, Washington, MOHenry G. Schaper, Sr., St. Louis, MO

Visit WCU’s web site atwww.wculife.org

WCU Mail Box Letters and stories from YOU!

Dear WCU,Quilts and tied comforters that

your constituents have made havebeen given in the past several yearsto Project Linus and then to hospi-tals and organizations in the greaterSaint Louis area. I just received anote from the Project Linus coordi-nator and thought I’d pass on theinformation to you.

Project Linus has distributedquilts to the following hospitals:Cardinal Glennon, Hospice Advan-tage, Mercy Health Care, MissouriBaptist Pediatric ER, Nurses forNewborns, Raising St. Louis-BJCHealthcare, Ronald McDonaldHouses, St. Anthony’s Pediatric ER,St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St.Louis Crisis Nursery and Sweet Babies. Quite a coverage for the organization—and you were a partof the effort. Thank you! Andplease extend the thank you to theindividuals and organizations thatwere a part of the effort.

Hope you and yours have ahappy new year!Sincerely,Pat OwocSt. Louis, MO

Dear WCU,It is with sincere gratitude that

we wish to thank you for your verygenerous donation of $400.00 givenon December 9, 2015 to theMonastery of St. Clare. May Godbless you for all that you are!

“There is salvation in no oneelse, for there is no other nameunder heaven given among men bywhich must be saved.” Acts 4:12

“I hold the precepts of Jesus, asdelivered by Himself, to be the mostpure, benevolent, and sublime

which have ever been preached toman.” (Thomas Jefferson) What aringing acknowledgement from thisphilosopher/diplomat who valuedso profoundly the teachings of ourJesus! Joy in salvation is the mes-sage of Christianity and this holyseason “For a Child is born to us, aSon is given us!” Isaiah 9:5

Once again, we thank you, andwe pray this New Year will be filledwith God’s special graces, blessingsand mercy for you.Gratefully in our Newborn King,Mother Mary ElizabethMonastery of St. ClareSt. Louis, MO

Dear WCU,Thank you very much for the

challenge you gave us in October,2015. Our loyal and generousdonors helped us to meet the chal-lenge, and go beyond the challenge.We received donations for the challenge that totalled $2,330. This amount came from donors;amounts donated ranged from $5 to $1000. We are humbled by thegenerosity of these dear people, andwe ask God’s blessings on them,and on you!Sincerely,Sister Joan Klaas, CPPSFood Pantry CoordinatorSt. Agatha Center/Food PantrySt. Louis, MO

Dear WCU,On behalf of everyone at St.

Mary of Providence, I want tothank you for your gift of $500.00.Because of the generosity of ourfriends and benefactors, we are ableto provide for the developmentally

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WCU Mail Box More Letters and stories from YOU!disabled adults entrusted to ourcare. We are pleased by yourfriendship and grateful for yoursupport. May the gifts of peace, joyand prosperity be yours in abun-dance now and throughout the NewYear.Sincerely,Sr. Charleen Badiola, DirectorSt. Mary of ProvidenceChicago, IL

Dear WCU,Please accept our sincere grati-

tude for your gift to Our Lady’sInn. With this gift you share in ourmission of providing shelter andhope for a new life to the hundredsof women and children who seekour help each year.

Together, we care for and sup-port the most vulnerable among usoffering comfort, healing and hope;we walk beside each woman sup-porting her in her choice to givebirth. Our Lady’s Inn is a safehaven, a shelter from the stormwhere all are treated with respectand dignity. It is home.

May God bless you for your generosity!Gratefully,Amy Rager, Development DirectorOur Lady’s InnSt. Louis, MO

Dear WCU,We want to sincerely thank you

for the donation toward the ex-penses of the blood drive we heldon October 5, 2015.

We collected 40 pints of bloodfrom 43 donors.Allan Scheulen, Blood Drive ChairmanSocial Concerns Committee

Sacred Heart ParishRich Fountain, MO

Dear WCU,Thank you for the very generous

donation of toys that we were ableto share with families in need thisChristmas.

Your generosity is very much ap-preciated.

Merry Christmas and a veryBlessed New Year to you and yourfamilies!Sincerely,Major Andrew MillerArea CommanderThe Salvation ArmyQuincy, IL

Dear WCU,We need you, and you are there.

You’ll be happy to know that yourgift has already been put to workproviding food and shelter for thefamilies who seek refuge atMadonna House.

We could not continue to offerthe services to those in our commu-nity without your support as the de-mand continues to increase.

During this winter season, fami-lies with nowhere else to turn cometo Madonna House desperate forhelp. Thanks to you, they will re-ceive food, clothing, and a warmplace to stay while they get back ontheir feet.

Your compassionate spirit andgenerosity is a blessing to the peo-ple we serve and to the entire com-munity.With gratitude and admirationJoanne Dedert, Executive DirectorMadonna HouseQuincy, IL

Dear WCU,Thank you for your recent dona-

tion. Your generosity is greatly ap-preciated.

So far this fiscal year, your sup-port has allowed us to serve 16,626individuals in our Food Pantry,counsel 40 families in our Profes-sional Counseling Solutions pro-gram, provide parenting support to40 families in our Child Welfareprogram and secure chronic, lifesustaining medications to 120 indi-viduals in our MedAssist program.

Your gift will help QuincyCatholic Charities continue its mis-sion “To extend to all the healingand empowering presence ofJesus,” and to provide help andhope to those in need in our com-munity.

Please accept my most sincerethanks.Sincerely,Jackie Bruns, LCSW, Area DirectorQuincy Catholic CharitiesQuincy, IL

Dear WCU,I would like to take this opportu-

nity to thank you for making a do-nation to our program. In order forthis and many other programs thatDouglass offers to be successful, ittakes many people to become in-volved, whether it be by volunteer-ing, making a donation or donatingsupplies.

We would like to thank you forbelieving that our program isworthwhile and is of benefit tomany people in our community.Sincerely,Stephanie Cooper, Executive DirectorDouglass Community Services, IncHannibal, MO

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Jerry Bauer from Life of Iowa, Inc of Oelweinpresents a $500 check to Sacred Heart Schoolprincipal Kelley Harbaugh as a Matching Fundgift from Western Catholic Union for the school'sMardi Grad fundraiser.

Congratulations on this outstanding fundraiser for St.John the Baptist parish in Villa Ridge MO. WesternCatholic Union hosted a gun raffle, thanks to a donationfrom Glenn & Louann Straatman.

Thanks to Fr. Bannes for a fun night!

With the support of Western Catholic Union, Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. was able to raiseover $16,000. to continue to assist older adults and their families.

A Matching Fund check was presented to KateBaker, Executive Director at Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. by Western Catholic Union Agent, Gordon Hoerchler.

Christian HomeCare Services, Inc. offers faith-based,quality and compassionate support services to individu-als 60+ to assist in their independence while remainingat home. In 2015, Christian HomeCare Services, Inc.helped nearly 3,000 individuals with over 5,000 re-quests for non-medical homecare, transportation, andadvocacy and enrollment services!

WCU Branch 177 (Zell) in Ste.Genevieve conducted a MatchingFund for St. Joseph's School Raffle held in December.

Donna Flieg WCU Branch 177President presented the check toKathy Bartlow, Principal of St. Joseph's. School children andBranch Secretary Art Flieg, aswell as WCU member and SchoolSecretary Trish Basler, looked on.

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,As I sit down to write these words, my thoughts are rather more focused on a number

of other things, certain distractions you might say. I am now in the midst of completingmy thesis towards the licentiate in canon law, which also means that my studies here inthe Eternal City are soon to conclude. At the same time, several friends are making plansto visit Rome while I am still here, which turns my attention to the refreshing of mymemory in order to be something of a decent guide.

Taken together, the writing of the thesis, the soon completed studies, and the coming visits of friends, all turn my thoughts toward home. Though there can be some truth inwhat Emily Dickenson said, that “where thou art, that is home,” it is not quite the same asbeing in the landscape and among the people with whom you have grown up and where so many memories –whether joyful or sorrowful - have been made. For me, that place is Quincy, the little Gem City shining above theMississippi River. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but notour hearts.” Soon my feet will be home.

These happy thoughts turn my thoughts further to those wise and holy words of Saint Paul, namely, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). To put it another way, our home is not here on this earth, which is why the Lord Jesus said of his disciples, “They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world” (John 17:16). But as it is, we are not yet at home, thoughwe long for it so. This recognition led Saint Augustine to pray in his Confessions, “You have made us for yourself,O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” If each of us is honest, we know his words to be true (1.1).

Because of the original sin – of choosing our wills over God, of viewing him as a rival and acting against him –the gates of Paradise were closed to us (cf. Genesis 3:23-24). How, then, can we enter home, how can we enter thepresence of God, to that place where our hearts love? Only with the key of the Cross, the fruits of which the LordJesus entrusted to his Church.

We find ourselves now in the midst of the Jubilee of Mercy and on the threshold, if you will, of the celebrationsof Holy Week and the Triduum when we will strive, with the grace of God, to enter into the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee, Misericordiae Vultis (The Face of Mercy),Pope Francis says: A Jubilee also entails the granting of indulgences. This practice will acquire an even more important meaning in the Holy Year of Mercy. God’s forgiveness knows no bounds. In the death and resurrection ofJesus Christ, God makes even more evident his love and its power to destroy all human sin. Reconciliation withGod is made possible through the paschal mystery and the mediation of the Church. Thus God is always ready toforgive, and he never tires of forgiving in ways that are continually new and surprising. Nevertheless, all of us knowwell the experience of sin. We know that we are called to perfection (cf. Mt 5:48), yet we feel the heavy burden ofsin. Though we feel the transforming power of grace, we also feel the effects of sin typical of our fallen state. Despite being forgiven, the conflicting consequences of our sins remain. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Godforgives our sins, which he truly blots out; and yet sin leaves a negative effect on the way we think and act. But themercy of God is stronger even than this. It becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride ofChrist, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin,enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin…. To gain an indulgence is to experience the holiness of the Church, who bestows upon all the fruits of Christ’s redemption, so that God’s loveand forgiveness may extend everywhere. Let us live this Jubilee intensely, begging the Father to forgive our sinsand to bathe us in his merciful “indulgence” (22). Let each of us, then, seek to enter fully into this year of jubilee,into this year of mercy, that having repented of and confessed our sins, we may experience the fullness of the God’slove so that, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, we make find ourselves at home in the Father’s house.

As I look forward to being with you at the Western Catholic Union Convention this August, I wish you and yourloved ones a spiritually fruitful Holy Week and a very happy Easter! Peace and Joy,Reverend Daren J. Zehnle, K.H.S.WCU National Spiritual Advisor

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“Go buy bottled water!”“Get enough vittles to last a full week!”Often, the weathermen on TV try to

scare their viewers half to death, soundingalarm that the BIG SNOW is about to hit.

On January 21st, the 8th-graders of St.Gertrude School loaded the bus for theirannual pro-life trip to Washington DC.Yes, snow was in the forecast, but is itEVER as bad as they predict.?

“I was not too worried about the weatherbecause I didn't realize how much snowwe were supposed to get,” Cara Lausesaid. “I don't know if the parents wereworried, but I think most of the kids were excited because we haven't had much snow yet.”

The 8th-graders’ bus drove all day and all night, just ahead of the storm named “Jonas.” Perhaps an 8th-grade vocabulary lesson doesn’t include the definition of Jonas, otherwise referred to Jonah, as “any person orthing regarded as bringing bad luck.”

It’s a good thing the trip planners included an extra day for sightseeing before the Friday march. Hundreds ofstudents met at the Washington Mall, and that’s when the skies opened up for a beautiful, but steady, snowfall.Earlier in the day, the parents of the St. Gertrude students knew the storm was coming, and they faced an impor-tant decision. ”Friday morning the parents had a meeting in the hotel lobby,” parent Joette Meyer said. “It waseither leave right now or not leave and take our chances.”

In no hurry to headdirectly into the bigstorm, the St.Gertrude gang re-turned to their hotel,and enjoyed an ulti-mate snow day. “Wewere “stuck” in thehotel on Saturday asthe snow was stillcoming down heav-ily,” Jack Czeschinsaid. “We hung outin the hotel ballroomplaying cards, foot-ball, tag and differentgames to keep us oc-cupied.”

But many studentsfrom other schoolshad a much differentexperience. Schools

Students Felt God’s Love With Every Snowflake

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from all over the Midwest attempted to beat the storm out of town, and one bus after another came to a snow-packed halt. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was backed up for more than 30 miles, with traffic at a standstillfor more than a day. Priests from the Des Moines diocese were able to celebrate mass after students built analtar of snow.

Also stranded, but comfortablyin D.C., the students from St.Gertrude were finding the silverlining in the storm. “We wereable to sled down Capitol Hill,legally, for the first time in 144years. It was AWESOME,” JackCzeschin said. “Everybody had agreat time having snowball fightsand sledding. It was the highlightof the unplanned part of thetrip!”

Joshua 1:9 reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong andcourageous. Do not be fright-ened, and do not be dismayed,for the Lord your God is withyou wherever you go.”

Even on a bus to the nation’s capitol.

Even sledding down the hill at the Capitol.Even when walking through 20 inches of snow to see the White House. He is everywhere.

“God was with us the wholetime, keeping us safe through theweather and the 18 hour bus ride.We prayed the rosary to and fromD.C.” Jack said.

“I know that God was with methroughout this whole trip,” JaredLause said. “Especially when wewent to mass. I felt God there,and I knew he was there becauseeven though there was a blizzardwe were still able to get to masswith the help of God.”

“He was always looking overus, keeping us safe,” AaronMeyer said. ”He showed us that so many people fought outthe weather to march to stop abortion.”

Students Felt God’s Love With Every Snowflake Cont’d.

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SIX THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE

(Note: the following is an article written by speaker, author and wealth advisor Tim Maurer which appeared in a recent blog posted by the American Fraternal Alliance. The article has been edited by Western Catholic Union’s National Sales Director, Bob Ley.)

Life Insurance is one of the pillars of personal finance, deserving of consideration byevery household. I’d even go so far as to say it’s vital for most. Yet, despite its nearly universal applicability,there remains a great deal of confusion, and even skepticism, regarding life insurance. To help, here are 6things you absolutely need to know about life insurance:

1. If anyone relies on you financially, you need life insurance. It’s virtually obligatory if you are a spouse or the parent of dependent children. But you may also require life insurance if you are someone’s ex-spouse, life partner, a child of dependent parents, the sibling of a dependent adult, an employee, an employer or a business partner.

2. Life Insurance does not simply apply a monetary value to someone’s life. Instead, it helps compensate for the inevitable financial consequences that accompany the loss of life. Strategically, it helps those left be-hind cover the costs of final expenses, outstanding debts and mortgages, planned educational expense and lost income. But most importantly, life insurance can lessen financial burdens at a time when surviving family members are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

3. Life Insurance is a contract (called a certificate, in the case of WCU). A Certificate is a legal contract between a life insurance company (WCU) and someone (or occasionally something like a trust) who has financial interest in the life and livelihood of someone else. There are four (4) primary roles in a life insurancecertificate. The INSURER is the insurance company (WCU) responsible for paying claims in the case of adeath. The OWNER is responsible for premium payments to the insurance company. The INSURED is the person upon whose life the certificate is based….in most cases, the owner and the insured are one and thesame. The BENEFICIARY is the person or other entity due to receive the life insurance death claim, in theevent of the insured’s passing.

4. Life Insurance is a risk management tool, NOT an investment. While some life insurance certificateshave an investment feature that can offer a degree of tax favorability (the cash value accumulation), insuranceis rarely, if ever, an optimal investment and should not be considered as an investment tool.

5. Determining the optimal life insurance certificate for you does not have to be complicated. While wecould perform a detailed life insurance needs analysis, it is more important to get set-up with something you can comprehend and afford, than it is to push off an important decision due to life insurance’s intimidating complexity. In the vast majority of situations, a household would be well cared for simply by buying enoughlife insurance to replicate all or most of the insured’s income for a term as long as the household expects toneed that income.

6. Consider using a live person to help in your planning. There are many online tools that can help giveyou an idea of how much money you should pay for the certificate you need. (One we recommend is theneeds calculator offered by www.lifehappens.com) But, once you get to that point, I would recommend con-tacting a real, live insurance agent who can walk you through the selection and application process.

I suspect that we don’t like talking about life insurance because we don’t like talking about death. But, openand honest discussions about planning for an unexpected death can be surprisingly life-giving. And, the chancesare good that purchasing life insurance is still an important part of your long-term and comprehensive financialplan.

If you have any questions, please contact the Sales Team at Western Catholic Union: 877-928-1877 orsales@wculife.org.

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Ste. Genevieve (Zell) Branch 177 sponsored araffle during the St. Lawrence annual picnic, to benefit St. Lawrence Parish.

Clover Bottom, MO, Branch 269, had their annualSuper Bowl party raffle to benefit St. Vincent de PaulSociety.

Henry Schaper and David Bohler of the St. LouisBranch IX presented a Matching Fund Donation toboth Our Lady’s Inn and the Poor Clares.

The Brussels, IL, Branch 208, sponsored a dinner andauction to benefit St. Mary School Support Club.

Apple Creek, MO, Branch 148, sponsored a breakfast,bake sale and country store as a Matching Fund project to buy linens for St. Joseph Church.

WCU agent Alex Hueneburg is pictured with his son,Callan, when presenting WCU Catholic SchoolsWeek certificates and awards at Trinity CatholicSchool, LaSalle, IL.

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“My Selfie With God’s Love”More than 700 5th- and 6th-grade students in 21 schools tackled this year’s theme in WCU’s Catholic

Schools Week poster contests. One thing became very obvious, God’s Love is everywhere: in kindness to others, in helping the needy, and in the love of our pets. We had fun visiting the schools and helping the studentstake some crazy selfies!

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Active Branches Serving Their CommunitiesBranches of Western Catholic Union continue to serve their communities. Students at Lenne School in Chicagoenjoy a little pizza party after joining our WCU branch for a successful food drive. The Villa Ridge MO branchheld a scrapbook party to raise money for St. John the Baptist Parish. Our Krakow MO branch raised money forSt. Gertrude parish with a Trivia Night. Our Ozora MO branch held a fish fry to raise money for Sacred HeartCatholic School, and Quincy IL area charities will be supported all year thanks to their annual pancake &sausage breakfast.

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Help Us!The U.S. Post Office is continuing to

update addresses in its delivery system to coincide with the 911 address listing.

If your address has changed, please notify:

WCU Certificate Service Desk510 Maine St., PO Box 410

Quincy, IL 62306; call 800-223-4928 or visitour web page at www.wculife.org

“What’s Up” at Apple Creek Branch 148

The WCU Apple Creek, MO, Branch 148, held a “What’s Up at WCU” event this year where they sponsoredthe Old Appleton Brush Hawks Fall Fest to raise money for Christmas food baskets for the needy.

Shown in the above left picture are members of the Brush Hawks who helped fill the baskets. The picture atthe right shows what goes in one basket. The group buys the food for the gift boxes and each box includes fooditems, two dozen homemade cookies and toys. A total of 600 pounds of ham was donated.

Other groups involved were Thrivent Financial, Arnsberg 4-H, the Boy Scouts, West End Tavern and Grocery, Hull Trucking, Jr. Logging and more.

Name _______________________ ______________________ Address  ___________________________________

City ____________________________ State __________ ZIP ______________ Day Telephone ________________

To obtain information on WCU products or fraternal benefits, please check those items of interest listed below and return it to Fraternal/Editorial Department, Western Catholic Union,PO Box 410, Quincy, IL 62306. To make a charitable donation or recommend a new member,call 1-800-223-4928.

Please send me information concerning:

AnnuitiesAnnuities (IRA, 403B, HR10)Single Premium Whole Life10-year Level Term20-year Term20-Pay Life/10-Pay Life

Dividend-paying Whole Life Final Expense PlanGuardian Angel PlanWCU Hotel Discount SavingsCatholic High School ScholarshipsCatholic Grade School Grants

ScriptSave Discount ProgramSimply RewardsVocation ScholarshipsRecreational ProgramsCommunity ActivitiesOther - Please list

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