MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Several people staged a protest after a Catholic religious education coordinator was denied an award from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis because she is a lesbian.

About 200 members of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church demonstrated May 21 in support of Kathy Itzin, the church’s religious education coordinator. Itzin was to be one of 18 archdiocesan workers honored for their work in teaching young people about the faith. She is in a relationship with a partner, and they have four children, ages 10 to 16.

Archbishop Harry Flynn withdrew the award for Itzen after Catholic Parents Online, a Twin Cities group that supports orthodox teachings of the church, sent him a letter pointing out that Itzin is a homosexual.

An official statement from the archdiocese said, “After receiving the nomination (of Itzin) for the catechetical award, the archdiocese subsequently learned of her public expression of a lifestyle inconsistent with Catholic doctrine.”

The honorees and their families walked past demonstrators at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Edina. They sang songs such as “Amazing Grace” and “We Are Walking in the Light.” The demonstrators held signs that said, “Hate is Not a Catholic Value.”

Earlier, the Rev. George Wertin, pastor of St. Joan’s, said he “disagreed totally” with Flynn’s decision.

“Kathy is a wonderful, respected member of our parish community and our staff,” he said. “The award recognized these outstanding qualities in her. To withdraw it simply because of her sexual orientation is offensive to all gays and lesbians and to all of us in her community.”

St. Joan’s is a liberal south Minneapolis parish of about 4,000 families.

Itzin, 42, said she was called while on vacation in Iowa and told the award was being withdrawn.