Students at St Mary’s Primary School, Rydalmere were ecstatic to meet the popular namesake behind their house sports name ‘Mackinnon’ and learn about the significance of the Mercy Cross when Sr Ailsa Mackinnon RSM visited the school this month.
The visit was part of the school’s initiative to enhance student learning about its history. This month’s history focus on the Sisters of Mercy was centred around the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mercy and Mercy Day on 24 September: the anniversary of the opening of the first ‘House of Mercy’ in Dublin, Ireland in 1827 and a day to celebrate the charitable work of the Sisters of Mercy around the world.
Sr Ailsa was a teacher at St Mary’s from 1971 to 1973, after which she became Principal from 1974 until 1976. She later became Principal of Our Lady of Mercy College (OLMC) in Parramatta from 1990 to 2004. She is currently the Chancellor of Ministries at the Diocese of Parramatta.
During her leadership at St Mary’s in Rydalmere, Sr Ailsa nurtured the meaningful life-long learning of students and oversaw projects such as the construction of the Marist building on the school site in 1976.
While warmly remembered as the last Mercy nun associated with St Mary’s, Sr Ailsa remains a legacy at the school, having been immortalised as the name of the red house sports colour.
Following individual classroom visits by Sr Ailsa, an assembly gathering of the school community invited students to learn a bit about their school history and meet Sr Ailsa in person.
A morning tea with staff followed, providing a further opportunity to learn about the school’s history and connection with the Sisters of Mercy.
Diocese of Parramatta Chancellor (Ministries) Sr Ailsa Mackinnon (second right) with staff members Dianne Sabat, Helen Lupis and Nicole Dallas during a visit to St Mary’s Primary School, Rydalmere. Image: Supplied
A highlight was when selected Year 6 students were invited to ask Sr Ailsa a few questions. There were a few laughs and lots of interest from the students – particularly as they tried to guess Sr Ailsa’s favourite colour and whether it matched the school’s red house sports colour (disclosure: it’s yellow!).
St Mary’s principal Richard Blissenden said it was a privilege to share Sr Ailsa’s story with the school community.
“Having Sr Ailsa visit our school and speak with the students is helping us to foster deeper learning among our students,” Mr Blissenden said.
“It was a privilege to have someone like Sr Ailsa, with her deep faith and rich life experience, visit St Mary’s.”
Mr Blissenden said a key takeaway from Sr Ailsa’s talk with the students was the notion of ‘be good today, but better tomorrow’.
“I am most grateful to the Sisters of Mercy, including Sr Ailsa, for their tireless efforts of living out the Gospel messages,” he said.
“The visit not only enriched the academic knowledge of our students (and staff), but also helped deepen our values, resilience and purpose.”
Religious Education Coordinator and Year 4 teacher Natalie Coghlan said the visit enabled the students to explore the school’s living history.
“It is important that we learn from the leaders in our school’s past,” Natalie said.
Diocese of Parramatta Chancellor (Ministries) Sr Ailsa Mackinnon (second right) with (L-R) Religious Education Coordinator Natalie Coghlan, Mercy 5 school program facilitator Ana Pintos and Principal Richard Blissenden during a visit to St Mary’s Primary School, Rydalmere. Image: Supplied
“By understanding our history, we can build on the solid foundation of faith and tradition that shapes our identity as a Catholic school community. This connection not only deepens our understanding of who we are today but also inspires the future growth of our students in faith, service and leadership,” she added.
Year 6 students Matilda S and Matilda C wrote a reflection on the visit for the school newsletter, stating how Sr Ailsa’s visit helped them understand how the school has changed and developed over time.
“Her engaging stories and heartfelt insights inspired reflection on how we can make a difference,” they wrote.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from her and hope her visit continues to inspire compassion and positive action in our community.
“We look forward to welcoming her again soon.”
Diocese of Parramatta Chancellor (Ministries) Sr Ailsa Mackinnon (right) with Principal Richard Blissenden and a Year 3 student during a visit to St Mary’s Primary School, Rydalmere. Image: Supplied
Sr Ailsa said she was humbled by the opportunity and welcome from the whole school community. Accompanied by mission animator and Mercy 5 school program facilitator Ana Pintos, Sr Ailsa said the Mercy-focused initiative helped strengthen identity, pride, and connection to faith in the school community.
“It was also lovely to tour the school and see how it has developed and changed over the years,” Sr Ailsa said.
“I also enjoyed the morning tea with staff and saw familiar and not-so-familiar faces, which brought me back to my teaching days.”
The school is hosting further initiatives this month to celebrate Mercy Day and the Sisters of Mercy, including a school play about Catherine McAuley – founder of the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831.
