Sr Ailsa Mackinnon: the Surfing Sister who Remains a Servant of Hope
In the decades that she’s been in Western Sydney, Sr Ailsa has held a variety of roles in her Mercy community and the Diocese of Parramatta, many of them senior ones: as a teacher; long-serving principal of Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta; congregation leader of the then-100-strong Mercy community; head of the Mercy development arm, Mercy Works; and member of the Diocesan Curia, the body that assists the Bishop in running the Diocese, and on which she continues to serve.
Date Posted:
22-Jul-2025
Image Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta. Used with permission
Recently, she stepped down as Chancellor of Ministries for the Diocese, where she oversaw the creation of the Mission Enhancement Team.
Others might call these “achievements”, but Sr Ailsa sees everything that she has done in her life as a means of “helping influence people for good” so that their lives can be better.
This view of the world stems from her Mercy charism, which is devoted to promoting compassion, kindness and love.
“I think that sense of being with people in their struggles and in their endeavours to better their own lives brings hope,” she says.
“Hope has always been part of my aspiration; your faith in God brings hope and allows you to live with hope.”...
- Source: This article was originally published in the 2025 Ordinary Time | Winter edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine.
- You can read the digital version here