“Whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s.” — Romans 14:8
To the Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School Community:
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Mr. Mike Zasa’s passing. For nearly 30 years, Mike formed scores of young people in the ways of faith. Humble of heart and gentle in spirit, Mike truly practiced what he preached. His powerful witness to the Gospel impacted the lives of everyone he encountered. He always chose to see the good in people and guided his students in the formation of conscience—never judging, but always challenging them to see beyond themselves and to consider the “other”: the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the forgotten. Mike truly understood the great commandments of Christ: to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. It was that simple. No matter what topic was covered, Mike masterfully brought the lesson back to those two simple commands. He taught the beauty of the Catholic faith with authentic conviction.
Service was the heart of Mike’s life; you could count on him for anything and everything. He was always offering his time and talent to his parish, to our school, and to the broader community. Whether volunteering at a parish festival or a school fundraiser, or chaperoning a dance or a school trip, Mike was there. He even dedicated his summer months to working with local refugees.
A modern St. Francis of Assisi, Mike showed us what it meant to be a good steward of God’s creation. He cared deeply for the smallest of God’s creatures, feeding every animal in his neighborhood and even offering them shelter. He taught us to care for our common home, the Earth, and preached the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death—and everything in between.
Like so many, I was blessed to call Mike Zasa teacher, colleague, mentor, and dear friend. Early in my career, Mike gave me some of the best advice I ever received. He told me: “Pick one thing and do it well—because you can’t do everything well.” Mike understood the limits of our humanity, a lesson many of us would do well to take to heart. When asked in an interview, “What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone?” Mike said simply: “Be the best you can be. Give back to others. Be gentle on yourself and others.” He lived by that code.
Reflecting on Mike’s influence, I recently re-read a couple of interviews he gave for his parish publication. In one, Mike spoke openly about his experience with cancer. He mentioned a particular scripture verse that was always in the back of his mind: “Whether we live or we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). Reading those words, I couldn’t help but think how succinctly they summed up Mike’s life, career, and legacy. I have never witnessed someone face death as resolutely—and with as much grace—as Mike did. I believe it was his total reliance on Divine Providence that allowed him to carry his cross with such zeal.
Our Campus Ministry team has dedicated their performances of the Living Stations of the Cross to Mike’s memory. Praying the Stations with our students recently, I was drawn to a line from the Eighth Station, where Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. Jesus says to the distraught women: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28). In more ways than one, Mike clung to his cross with the same trust and love that Christ clung to His. In this profound way, Mike united his suffering with that of his Lord. He knew his home was in heaven; whether he lived on in this world or the next, he was the Lord’s—and for Mike, that was enough. Mike did not want us to weep for him; he knew with absolute certainty that he was returning to the Father. May we all have such faith.
A teacher until the very end, Mike taught us one final lesson in his own gentle way: that in death, we rise with the Lord. How fitting that he returned to his Father in heaven on the Lord’s Day—the day of the Resurrection. While we will miss our friend dearly, perhaps we can find peace in one of Mike’s favorite quotes: “If you pray, why worry? And if you worry, why pray?”
Mike’s cheerfulness and laughter now fill the heavens. In his memory, let us try to be kinder, gentler, and find the time to laugh more often.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May Mike’s soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Mr. Rick Hensel,
Principal
Service Information:
Mass of Christian Burial
Monday, March 16, 2026
10:00 AM
St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Parish
648 Jay St. Utica, NY 13501
Arrangements Entrusted to Heintz Funeral Service
Obituary:
https://heintzfuneralservice.net/.../Mic.../obituary.html...