Posted June 2, 2014

Sister Rayangela Czarnota, 77, of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Third Order Regular of St. Francis, died May 20 of natural causes at St. Joseph Hospital in Reading, Pa. She was in her 56^th year of religious life.

Born in Chester, she was a daughter of the late Walter M. and Hedwig (Jurkowski) Czarnota.

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Sister Rayangela entered the Bernardine Order in 1958 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Villanova University and a Master of Science in education from the University of Scranton.

She served in Delaware and Pennsylvania as an elementary teacher, principal, superior, driver and local minister.

Sister Rayangela is survived by her sisters, Sister Patricia Ann Czarnota, O.S.F., of Chester and Janet Czarnota of Boothwyn; and her nieces, Pamela Small of Aston, Bernadette Halfhill, Delmar, Del. and Christine Czikowsky of East Hartland, Conn.

The funeral Mass was celebrated May 27 at St. Joseph Villa, Mount Alvernia, Reading. Burial followed in the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters’ cemetery at Mount Alvernia.