School Notes: Yale Divinity School
January/February 2026

Large crowd celebrates Living Village opening

Nearly 500 people attended a blessing and ribbon ceremony in early October to celebrate the opening of the Divinity School’s Living Village and its featured building, Carol B. Bauer Hall, a 50-bed student residence hall that gives back to the environment more than it takes. (View a photo of the new village.) 

Thirteen years in the making, the Living Village is the largest living-building residential complex at any university, using the most sustainable practices for water retention and reuse, generating all its power from the sun, and using only environmentally benign building materials. “The Living Village is a singular achievement and a beautiful addition to our campus,” President Maurie McInnis said in her remarks at the opening celebration. “But even more than its beauty, what makes the village truly special is its purpose.” 

More coverage, including a video and news story, can be found at YaleNews.

Divinity students engage their city through New Haven Pilgrimage

Now in its third year, the Divinity School’s New Haven Pilgrimage (held September 12–14 this year) is a three-day program for students built around shared meals and interactions with New Haven faith and business leaders, social service providers, and community partners who open their doors and tell their stories. This year’s pilgrimage included visits to the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen; CitySeed, a food justice nonprofit; and Beulah Land Development Corporation, a faith-based housing developer. “We have many students who aren’t sure about ordained ministry, but who are very curious about how to be of service in the world,” said Alison Cunningham ’84MDiv, director of professional formation at YDS. “The pilgrimage provides some good, firsthand examples of how to do that.”