For Barbara Riley, a lifetime of volunteer service began with a few simple words spoken in a small rural church in Manitoba. During National Volunteer Week from April 19–25, her story is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact of service rooted in faith and compassion.
As a young girl in a Ukrainian Catholic farming community, she remembers gathering her liturgy booklet when a priest noticed her and said, “this little girl will serve well in the Church.” That moment stayed with her. “If he believed I could,” she recalls, “then maybe I could.” What began as encouragement soon became a calling.
By her early teens, Riley was already stepping into service—helping neighbours, teaching catechism at her parish, and taking on leadership roles in youth ministry. “It was an awakening,” she says. “I began to see that people needed help, and I wanted to respond.”
That desire led her to join the Lay Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate in Winnipeg at age 20, where she received spiritual formation rooted in living faithfully in everyday life. While working at the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg during the Second Vatican Council, Riley was mentored by Church leaders who introduced her to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue—an interest that would shape her future ministry.
After moving to Alberta, Riley’s vocation found expression in pastoral care which started with St. Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish. During her time in the Crowsnest Pass, she brought Holy Communion weekly to hospital patients and residents in care facilities—an experience she describes as deeply transformative.
Later, in the Edmonton area, she became an active parishioner at Holy Family Parish and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Parish, where she continued serving those in need and volunteering at care facilities. Her ten work years with Edmonton Catholic Cemeteries gave her the opportunity to serve with compassion and kindness the families in their time of sorrow. Currently St. Albert Parish and Exaltation of Holy Cross are her faith communities.
Her formal studies at Newman Theological College strengthened her ministry, particularly in pastoral and spiritual care. That formation eventually led to her role as Pastoral Care Coordinator at St. Michael’s Health Group, where she served for 12 years. In that role, she not only accompanied individuals through illness, aging, end-of-life care and bereavement groups, but also trained volunteers to carry out compassionate visitation in both parish and healthcare settings.
“Listening is at the heart of it,” Riley says of pastoral care. “When you truly listen, you are walking with someone.”
Among her most meaningful experiences were time spent with the elderly, the sick, and the dying, as well as mentoring volunteers and organizing liturgical celebrations within care facilities.
Even in retirement, Riley’s commitment to service has not slowed. Since 2014, she has been an active member of Lions Clubs International, contributing to a wide range of initiatives in St. Albert and beyond. Her work has included everything from food bank support and refugee sponsorship to international leadership projects and peace-building initiatives. A significant focus of her volunteer work has been supporting newcomers.
Inspired by the Gospel call to “welcome the stranger,” Riley has, for the past four years, facilitated one of the English conversation circles through the St. Albert Newcomers Centre that bring together newcomers and local seniors. These gatherings offer more than language support—they foster friendship, belonging, and community. “Many newcomers, especially seniors, feel isolated,” she explains. “This gives them a place to connect—and it also gives volunteers a renewed sense of purpose.”
Riley’s passion for building connections also extends to ecumenical. Through her involvement in the World Day of Prayer previously, she has helped bring Christians of different denominations together in shared prayer and fellowship. “It builds relationships,” she says. “It reminds us that we are one in faith.” In the last three years she serves with St. Albert Interfaith Connections assisting in organizing Interfaith events.
Over the years, Riley has received numerous recognitions, including national and community awards. Yet she remains characteristically humble about such honours. “They reflect the organizations that create opportunities to serve,” she says. “No one serves alone.”
Her motivation, she adds, is rooted in a simple truth learned early in life: to love God and to serve others. “If you are able to serve, then continue,” she says. “It becomes part of who you are.”
Barb and her husband Jack raised three sons and have seven grandchildren.
Looking back, Riley sees God’s presence throughout her journey—in moments of prayer, in encounters with those she has served, and in the relationships formed along the way. Her life stands as a quiet but powerful witness to the impact of faith lived out in action—one act of service at a time.
Sign up for The WINDOW, the weekly electronic bulletin with news from the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
