Magnificat Palm Desert Prayer Meal with Deacon Jesus Mercado

Join us to learn how Deacon Jesus from Sacred Heart Church i Palm Desert bears daily witness to a lifelong journey of faith. Magnificat Palm Desert Prayer MealSaturday, December 12, 2026 9:00 am to 12:30 pm Woodhaven Coutry Club, 41555 Woodhaven Drive, East, Palm Desert, CA 92211 Registration \($35 per person before 12.5.26 and afterward $40.00\) via Zelle \(Registered as Magnificat—Palm Desert CA Chapter, louise.erickson54@gmail.com or Download and Mail in the Registration form found at the Magnificat Palm Desert Website: https://magnificatpalmdesert.net/meal/ Questions? Email: louise.erickson54@gmail.com A Lifelong "Yes" to Mary Responding to God's Call When Deacon Jesus Mercado was five years old, his father brought him to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Seeing the Tilma made a powerful impression on him and became the first thread in a lifelong connection to the Blessed Mother. As a young boy, Deacon would line up his Saint cards by his bed like old friends. He also felt Mary’s peaceful presence sitting behind him in church. Deacon soon developed a special devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows and Saint Michael. He met Pope John Paul II at age ten and as an adult he was entrusted with a chalice blessed by him. Today, Deacon Jesus serves as a deacon at Sacred Heart Church. He is completing his master’s degree in theology at St. Mary of the Lake in Chicago and will graduate in May 2028. Deacon also works as a hospice chaplain and leads the community in consecrations to Mary. For Deacon Jesus, conversion is a daily event—a choice to carry the cross, help others, and walk alongside the dying as they meet Christ. He is a loving husband, father, and grandfather whose life bears witness to a quiet, steady faith—one that continues to flourish each day. Join us to learn how Deacon Jesus bears daily witness to a lifelong journey of faith.