Pope Francis has sent an encouraging letter to an American nun thanking her for her 50 years of ministry to LGBTQ Catholics, more than two decades after she was investigated and censured by the Vatican for her work.

In his letter dated Dec. 10, Francis wrote that Sister Jeannine Gramick has not been afraid of "closeness" and without condemning anyone had the "tenderness" of a sister and a mother. "Thank you, Sister Jeannine, for all your closeness, compassion and tenderness," he wrote.

He also noted her "suffering ... without condemning anyone."

Gramick, who lives just outside of Washington, D.C., in Mount Rainier, Md., said that the letter felt like it was "from a friend."

"Of course, I was overjoyed," she said. "It felt like a turning point in the church, because for so long, this ministry has been maligned and in the shadows."

For decades, Gramick and her New Ways Ministry co-founder, the late Rev. Robert Nugent, were considered controversial by some church leaders for the workshops they did about the science and theology around LGBTQ topics. Gramick said she would not provide her opinion, but she would present the Catholic Church's teaching, as well as doctrinal positions from more moderate and liberal theologians.