Shannon Cerneka was raised in Belleville, IL. Through friends, family, the Church, and amazing institutions like TEC, CYO, the Boy Scouts, and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Shannon began discovering his gifts of music, performance and humor. These communities also formed the foundation of his strong Catholic faith.

Through many opportunities that mostly originated in the youth ministry world, Shannon began playing guitar, writing songs, and sharing his developing skills through prayer, liturgy, and performance.

In 1997, Shannon felt the call to ministry and enrolled in the Youth Ministry Certificate program offered by the Center for Ministry Development. Upon completion of the program in 1999, the Lord called Shannon to move to Jefferson City, Mo. where he served as the Director of Youth Ministry at St. Peter Parish. In 2011, he began work at St. Peter Parish in Fulton MO. Shannon’s responsibilities at St. Peter in Fulton have included coordinating youth ministry, religious education, campus ministry, and liturgical logistics. Many of Shannon’s liturgical compositions have been published through GIA/WLP and OCP. Shannon and friend Orin Johnson co-wrote a book of prayer services back in 2018, called “Let Us Go Forth” which was published through Twenty-Third Publications.

Shannon met Erin Ramsay in July of 2000 and were married in May of 2003, in Erin’s hometown of Fulton, Mo. They have since moved to Fulton where they celebrated the birth of daughter Madeleine in 2004, son Noah in 2006, so Aiden in 2009, and son Liam in 2012. Together, they continue to live their faith and share their gifts with the people of their community.