A Roman Catholic nun who was ordered to end her 22-year ministry to gay men and lesbians but defied the Vatican’s attempts to silence her apologized on behalf of her church Sunday while receiving an award in Philadelphia. “As a Roman Catholic sister, I want to ask pardon of the lesbian and gay community for my part in any oppression on the part of my church,” said Sister Jeanine Gramick. Gramick was prohibited last May from publicly discussing her work with gay people or the process that led the Vatican, in 1999, to order her and a priest to stop their pastoral work. Gramick no longer leads spiritual retreats for gays, but she has refused to obey the church’s admonition to stop talking about homosexuality. For the past year she has traveled the country to lecture about civil rights for gay men and lesbians and about the Vatican’s efforts to stop her. Gramick was being honored by PrideFest America, a weeklong gay pride celebration in Philadelphia.