Cristy Mercado Ezquer
Welcomes Questions in the Theology Classroom
JPII’s theology teacher and campus minister reflects on the places that shaped her faith and why students’ questions have become a favorite part of her first year.
At a glance
- Name: Cristy Mercado Ezquer
- Title: Theology Teacher and Campus Minister
- Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
- Current Community: Frisco, Texas
- Education: Bachelor of Arts, double major in Theology and Catechetics and Evangelization, Franciscan University of Steubenville, 2025, magna cum laude
- Joined JPII: 2026
- Family: Resides in Frisco, TX. Mother, Cristina Ezquer; father, Juan Carlos Mercado; and two sisters, Ana Mercado and Daniela Mercado.
- Advice to Students: Enjoy high school, explore different interests, and find work you truly enjoy.
Meet the People of JPII
Cristy Mercado Ezquer likes questions. She likes to hear what students think. She also likes the talks that begin when a student asks one.
Mercado Ezquer joined John Paul II High School in 2026 as a theology teacher and campus minister.
“I love interacting with the students,” she said. “Getting to hear their points of view, answering questions, or simply chatting about their days.”
A faith shaped by many places
Mercado Ezquer was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and now lives in Frisco, Texas. Her path to JPII has taken her through several cities and countries.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2025. She double-majored in theology and catechetics and evangelization, and graduated magna cum laude.
She also spent a semester in Gaming, Austria. She lived and studied in a restored 14th-century former Carthusian monastery. While there, she traveled to 14 countries and went on several pilgrimages.
“Experiencing all the beauty of that time, whether through art, architecture, or nature, brought me closer to God and his creativity and goodness,” she said.
An unexpected meeting in Rome
One trip brought a moment Mercado Ezquer had never planned.
In Rome in 2024, she met Pope Francis. The meeting was brief, but she was able to tell him in Spanish that she was praying for him. She and Pope Francis both spoke Spanish as a first language.
“I was struck with the fact that the Lord chose me of all people to have this amazing experience,” she said. “It was completely unplanned and given to me as a total gift from him.”
Before coming to JPII, Mercado Ezquer served as a missionary and taught middle school theology in New York City.
“My faith and my job are inseparable!”
Starting with students
Mercado Ezquer said she was drawn to JPII by the sense of family she felt at the school, its academics, and its devotion to St. John Paul II.
Now that she is here, the students are what she enjoys most.
“Since joining JPII, my students have already taught me what a special place this school is,” she said. “They have taught me this through showing me their sincerity, humor, and willingness to ask questions and be challenged in their faith.”
Those questions matter to her. They help her learn how students think and what they want to understand.
Faith in the school day
Mercado Ezquer sees little distance between her faith and her work.
“As a Campus Minister and Theology teacher, my faith and my job are inseparable!” she said.
Her week includes Praise and Worship, Mass, and Scripture in class. Her favorite verse is Song of Songs 2:16: “My beloved is mine, and I am his.”
She said the verse speaks to the unity with God that he invites people to seek.
Room to explore
Mercado Ezquer wants students to use high school as a time to learn what they enjoy.
“I would tell students to enjoy their high school years and take high school as an opportunity to explore different things and figure out what they want to do with their lives after high school,” she said. “Not because it makes the most money, but because they truly enjoy it.”