In the words of Terence Cronyn (OR 1913-1920; Faculty 1927 - 1967): "These words from Arkwright's great hymn were among those sung by Ridley's first choir, a very large congregation of boys, Staff, Old Boys and visitors, in the Chapel on June 17 1923. The occasion was the presentation of the building by the President of the Ridley College Old Boys' Association, Lieutenant-Colonel D.H.C. Mason, to A.C. Kingstone, Vice President of Ridley College, who accepted it on behalf of the School. It represented a triumphant pinnacle of endeavour on the part of many Old Boys and a few others. They had been determined that the funds should be raised to create a worthy memorial for the sixty-one Old Ridleians who had given their lives in the First Great War. The corner-stone had been laid on June 4, 1921."
The Chapel continues to be a blessing today, and what occurs inside is a crucial component to the learning achieved by students. In the words of Ernest Boyer, "The harsh truth is that knowledge unguided by an ethical compass is potentially more dangerous than ignorance itself." Ridleians attend the chapel as students, and later in life return for baptisms, marriages, and funerals. It is the place where the 'purple passages' of life are celebrated.
