Sr. Carol E. Wheeler +

With great sadness, we share the news that Sister Carol E. Wheeler, RSM, Mercy’s former president, principal, and teacher, died at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, at Stella Maris after a long illness. She was 84 years old.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Sister Carol entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1959 in Mount Washington and was known as Sister Seraphia in the early years of her religious life. She came to Mercy High School as an English and religion teacher in 1961. She left Mercy in 1972 to complete graduate work in philosophy at Georgetown University. She also pursued advanced study at the University of Chicago and Yale University. In 1977, Sister Carol became principal of Mercy and continued in that role until 2009, when she was named president. Although her administrative duties were significant, she taught seniors in her signature class, Introduction to Philosophical Thinking, until she concluded her tenure as president in 2013.
Under Sister Carol’s leadership, Mercy established a number of innovative academic offerings including the Honors Program and the Mentor Program, and she led the fundraising and construction of the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Auditorium and the Dorothy Williams Bunting Science Center. Sister Carol was a creative and influential educator in the United States, and a sabbatical in New Zealand extended her network internationally.

Please remember in your prayers the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Carol’s family, especially her own sister Erin Wheeler, and Sister Helen Doherty, a member of the Mercy High School faculty who has been Sister Carol’s faithful friend and community member for many years.

Eternal rest grant unto Sister Carol, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Funeral Arrangements:

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Graveside Service and Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, 6515 Liberty Road, Gwynn Oak, Maryland.

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Memorial Mass of Remembrance will be held at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 8501 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland.

Gifts in memoriam:

Gifts in Sr. Carol's memory can be made to the Seraphia Scholars Fund, an endowed fund she established to aid Mercy Girls with tuition assistance. Thank you for helping to fulfill her wishes and for your kind generosity. To make a gift, click here and note the Seraphia Scholars Fund in the memo box.