For years, I have dreamed of hosting a retreat that gently weaves together the things that have shaped my own life most deeply: creativity, beauty, meaningful friendship, hospitality, and faith.

But I knew it would require the right season, the right people, and the right place. So you can imagine my joy when I first stepped through the doors of this restored monastery, I immediately sensed that I had found it.

At its heart, Cor Unum remains a Prone to Wander creative lifestyle retreat. Throughout the week, we’ll learn from talented local artisans, create with our hands, share meals around the table, explore beautiful corners of Puglia, and enjoy experiences thoughtfully chosen for our group. From candle making, weaving, and ceramics to a hands-on culinary workshop and local markets, our days will be filled with opportunities to learn, connect, and be inspired. Along the way, we’ll meet the remarkable people behind these experiences; hosts, makers, and craftspeople whose warmth and generosity are as memorable as the places themselves.

Yet this retreat carries an additional invitation.

Prone to Wander has always been about the longing to go, to explore unfamiliar places, to discover hidden treasures, and step outside the routines of everyday life and experience something new.

Cor Unum explores a different kind of longing; The longing to come home.

Not to a physical place, and not only to our heavenly home, but to the things our hearts were created for: belonging, rest, beauty, community, purpose, and communion with God.

There is something especially meaningful about exploring these themes within the walls of a former monastery. For centuries, monasteries welcomed travelers, offering hospitality, rest, and refuge to those passing through. They were places where daily life, creative work, community, and faith existed side by side.

For one week, we have the opportunity to step into that tradition.

As we gather in the cloister, create together, share meals, and walk the monastery grounds, we’ll also reflect on a foundational tenet and central motto of the order of St. Augustin which inspired the retreat’s name: Anima una et cor unum in Deum — one mind and one heart intent upon God. This phrase originates from the opening lines of the Rule of St. Augustine, which was written around 400 AD.

You don’t need to have everything figured out to attend Cor Unum. This is not a retreat built around sermons, Bible studies, or packed schedules of religious programming. Rather, faith will be woven naturally throughout the week through daily devotional reflections, prayers of thanksgiving before meals, worship and praise, thoughtful conversations, and encouragement from our special guest, Danielle Kartes.

My hope is that Cor Unum feels welcoming whether you are walking through a season of certainty or questions, grief or renewal, transition or rest. I pray that each woman will leave our week not only inspired creatively, but encouraged spiritually as well; carrying home a renewed sense of belonging and purpose, and a deeper love for the God who created her.