On Wednesday, we welcomed Joe Ricketts to our club. Joe is the founder of Ameritrade online brokerage, now known as TD Ameritrade. Joe was here to speak to us about a project he is very passionate about: Cloisters on the Platte.
Religious retreats have been around for many generations. They originally were founded by St. Ignatius of the the Jesuit Order of Catholic Priests. As the number of interested young men in the Jesuit ranks waned, as well as the monetary resources available to them, retreats, as they were known, were sharply reduced. Currently, there are only 27 in the U.S.
Joe has attended these retreats in the past and found great spiritual value in them. Ironically, most that attend these retreats are not Catholic, but a blend of many other Christian and Jewish faiths. The retreats are mostly silent retreats, using mainly silent meditation to get in touch with one's spiritual beliefs. Men and women are invited to attend.
Joe has founded one of the such retreats on the banks of the Platte River, just west of Omaha. It is under construction and is expected to open in July, 2018. The location will have a majestic chapel with seating for 80. Guests of the three-day retreats will stay in seven separate lodges on the grounds, complete with cooking facilities.
The most dramatic of the features will be the seven outdoor separate stations of the cross, depicting the crucifixion of Jesus. Each station will be life-sized and separate from each other. A team of sculptors from around the U.S. was hired to produce these sculptures. While admittance is free to attendees, there is an expectation of a goodwill donation. Although founded by Joe, the long term success of the enterprise is dependent on donations and the revenue from the production of vegetables and other farm produce raised on the grounds.
Tourists are welcome to tour the seven stations of the cross, but will be subject to a $10 fee to do so.
I was very pleased to accept the offer from John Ewing to sub for him for the meeting. He will return next week as we welcome Joe Wiegand, who will entertain us with tales from Teddy Roosevelt. Should be quite interesting. Unfortunately, I will be basking in the Arizona sun watching Nebraska play baseball in a tournament in Surprise, Arizona against another of my other favorite teams; the Oregon State Beavers.
Tim Cavanaugh
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