Thanks for all the well wishes, gang! To answer McClef, no I am not a deacon, though I did look into that process a few years back. My schedule and other responsibilities would not have allowed for the fairly rigorous training process in our diocese (as it should be). It is something still on the radar, though, for in the future.

Technically, I suppose you'd call me an "Ecclesial Lay Minister," meaning I am a lay person engaged in ministry and employed by the Church. So there you have it.