Loretto Academy- Niagara Falls-Canada

With great sadness we announce the passing of former Loretto student Agnes Catherine Zeman Parteno.
May she rest in peace.

Agnes Catherine Parteno Obituary May 22, 2026 - Affordable Burials and Cremations View Agnes Catherine Parteno's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

A few historic photos taken from Terrapin Point on the U.S. side and you can see Loretto in the background.

Easter is often spoken about as a time of hope, renewal, and new beginnings.

But when you’re grieving, those words can feel distant, almost like they belong to someone else’s life, and not yours.

The world starts to look a little brighter this time of year. The days stretch out a bit longer and people begin talking about fresh starts and moving forward. And inside, you may be thinking, “how am I supposed to feel any of that when someone I love is missing from it all?”

Here’s the thing…grief doesn’t follow the seasons.

It doesn’t ease just because spring has arrived. In some ways, days like Easter can make the absence feel even worse. Because you remember what these days used to look like. The traditions, the meals, the way their presence filled the room in ways you didn’t fully notice until it was gone.

Now there’s a space where they used to be, and it can feel heavier than ever, even in a season that’s supposed to feel light.

You might find yourself going through the motions, sitting at the table, hearing laughter around you, and yet feeling like you’re somewhere else entirely. Or maybe you’ve stepped away from it this year because it just feels like too much.

Either way, there’s no right or wrong way to move through a day like this. Easter, like every meaningful day after loss, changes. It becomes something different than it once was, a day where joy and sorrow can exist side by side, where memories can bring both comfort and pain in the very same moment.

You might smile at something and then feel the weight of their absence just seconds later. And that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It means you’re carrying love. And love doesn’t disappear just because someone’s gone. It finds new places to live in the way you still think of them without even trying.

It’s still there…even when everything else feels different.

So if Easter feels heavy this year, if it doesn’t look or feel the way it used to, if you’re just trying to make it through the day, that’s enough. You don’t have to force yourself to feel hopeful. You don’t have to celebrate in ways that no longer feel right.

You’re allowed to take this day as it comes, one moment at a time, honoring both what was and what is.

And if you can, maybe find one small way to feel close to them. Not as a way of letting go, but as a way of holding on in a way that fits who you are now.

Because even here in the middle of grief…love still exists.

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year

💕Happy Easter Everyone!
Enjoy your day!

Sunday is coming…
Jesus received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted Him alive. They held handfuls of His beard, and hair and pulled it out by the roots. They wanted Him alive. They kicked, punched, and spit on Him for hours. Until there wasn't a single spot on His body not covered in blood. They wanted Him alive.

They shoved a crown of thorns down on His head so harshly it stuck in His skin. They wanted Him alive. After hours of being beaten, mocked, whipped, flogged, and tortured they made Him walk with a cross. A rough piece of wood digging into His fresh wounds. They wanted Him alive.

They wanted Him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring. He had to feel it in order to heal us.
Most of us cannot mentally think of the crucifixion because the cruelty of it isn't normal. It isn't something our minds can comprehend. We celebrate Easter with pastel colors. Truth is, there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and nasty.

He could have stopped all of it. He could have called every angel in heaven to demolish every person standing and shouting "Crucify Him!" He didn't. He knew in order to have a Sunday you have to have a Friday. He felt everything that day.
He felt how your heart broke.
He felt how heavy your life was. He carried and carries your pain.
He carried the weight of the burden we have all felt.

Jesus leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it.
He knew he had to carry the cross.
He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy.

His promise is that Sunday is coming.

No matter how heavy Friday is…financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically. Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down.
His promise was simply this: He won't make you carry it alone. What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God did. For you. So…look up, because Sunday is coming.

By Michelle Pillar

On this Holy Friday, we remember the sacrifice that changed everything. Through His suffering, we are given hope, healing, and grace.
May we reflect with humble hearts, embrace His love, and find strength in His promise. By His wounds, we are healed, and through His sacrifice, we are forever renewed. Amen.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!☘️

Thank you to Janice Antonio for sharing her 1969 Graduation Photo and pictures of their 50 year reunion done in 2019.
Janice was a student at Loretto starting in Grade 1.... amazing!