Image: Youth off the streets / Facebook
Father Chris Riley AM, the beloved Catholic priest and tireless youth advocate who founded Youth Off The Streets, has died aged 70.
Riley, who had been unwell for some time, passed away peacefully at St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.
Youth Off The Streets confirmed the sad news and released a statement on Friday August 1.
“Father Riley’s dedication to supporting and empowering young Australians in need has left a powerful legacy,” said Youth Off The Streets CEO Judy Barraclough. “His vision, drive and determination will continue to inspire our organisation as we strive to provide growing numbers of children and young people facing disadvantage with safety, support and education for a better future.”
“Father Riley will be remembered for his compassion, tenacity and unwavering belief that every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential,” said Anne Fitzgerald, chairperson of the Youth Off The Streets Board.
Tributes are already flowing online for the man whose fierce compassion and unwavering belief in young people helped change countless lives.
He is remembered for a lifetime spent walking alongside society’s most vulnerable — particularly young people experiencing homelessness, addiction, poverty, and abuse. He is survived by the thousands of young people who now live safer, fuller lives because he never stopped showing up for them.
“A visionary who changed lives”: Premier leads tributes
NSW Premier Chris Minns released a statement on Friday honouring Father Riley as a “visionary”.
“It is with profound sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Father Chris Riley AM, whose visionary work changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people across New South Wales,” Minns said in a statement.
“In founding Youth Off The Streets in 1991, he turned a single food van in Kings Cross into a lifesaving network of crisis accommodation, counselling and other wrap around support services.
“Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity young lives can be transformed.
“On behalf of the people of NSW, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the Youth Off The Streets community, and the countless young people whose futures he helped build.”
From food van to nationwide legacy
Born in regional Victoria, Father Riley joined the priesthood in 1982 and began working with disadvantaged youth soon after.
In the early 1990s, while working in Kings Cross, Riley started driving a single food van around the area at night, offering hot meals and a listening ear to homeless young people. That humble operation would become Youth Off The Streets, now a national organisation providing housing, education, drug and alcohol treatment, and family support services.
Under his leadership, the organisation expanded rapidly, operating more than 35 services across the country and employing hundreds of staff. Over the years, Riley became one of Australia’s most recognised advocates for youth in crisis.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006 and received numerous accolades throughout his life, though he often deflected praise, choosing instead to highlight the resilience of the young people he worked with.
In 2022, he stepped down as CEO of Youth Off The Streets for health reasons, but continued to support the charity’s mission.
Funeral details have not yet been announced.
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