Deacon Ignacio Ortega, 86, died March 28. He was ordained in 1991 and served at St. Mark Parish.

Deacon Ortega immigrated from Mexico in 1964, and he and his late wife, Estella, helped many others come to Chicago from Mexico, including putting people up in their home.

As a deacon, he served at Casa Central and St. Mark’s food pantry, and helped start eucharistic adoration at the parish more than 12 years ago.

Ortega, who was one of six children, had two sins, nine grandchildren, 15 greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Deacon Gilberto Mercado, 74, died March 27.

Ordained in 1985, Deacon Mercado ministered at St. Anthony, Cicero. He was involved in pre-baptism classes, assisted at Mass, performed wakes and house blessings.

He is survived by his wife Martha; his children Martha Mercado-Rios, Salomon Mercado, Angel Mercado, Beatrice Martinez and Yemina Hernandez; and 10 grandchildren.

Divine Word Father Eric Vargas, 67, died Feb. 27 in Techny.

Born in New York City, he joined the Society of the Divine Word in 1963 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1975.

In the early years of his priesthood, he ministered in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. He also did pastoral work on the East Coast and in California.

He was granted early retirement for health reasons in 2004 and moved to Techny in 2008.

He is survived by his sister, Rita Santiago.

Deacon Jaime Juarez, 85, died March 25. He was ordained in 1974.

Deacon Juarez had served at St. Benedict Parish in Chicago. He lived in Schaumburg when he died. He is survived by his wife, Carmen. He also was a father and grandfather.

Dominican Father David Matthew Hynous, 83, died March 24 in Chicago.

Born in Chicago, he attended St. Philip Neri and St. Odilo schools and Fenwick High School, Oak Park. He went to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, for two years to prepare to enter the Dominicans in 1952. He was ordained in 1959.

He studied canon law at the Angelicum in Rome and taught at the college level before serving as secretary for the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., from 1979 to 1981. He was vicar provincial for the Dominicans for four years and then served the Archdiocese of Chicago’s marriage tribunal as vice chancellor from 1986 to 1995. In 1995 he was called to Rome as procurator general for the Dominican Order.

In 1997 he returned to the tribunal in the Archdiocese of Chicago before serving on the tribunal in the Diocese of Joliet.