Shawn Witmer is a husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife of 30 years, Donna, live on the west side of Cleveland.
Shawn holds degrees in English, Philosophy, Theology and Education. His career as a lay minister in the church has included teaching theology, college campus ministry, executive director of an international Catholic volunteer program, and, since 2011, he has served as Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Lake. His parish responsibilities include preparation for the sacraments of initiation for children, including Eucharist and Confirmation, First Reconciliation (Confession), the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for those coming into the church, Principal of the K-8 Parish School of Religion (PSR) and is coordinator of adult education programs. He also currently teaches an on-line course in Catholic Social Teaching for Notre Dame College. He is a founding member of “Crossings,” a group of men which provides a “rites of passage” experience for younger men ages 18-30 from NE Ohio. In 2016 he was certified as a “Lay Ecclesial Minister” for the Diocese of Cleveland.
His personal mission is to “be good, do good and be a power for good.”