While Dr. Bonita “Bonnie” Bachl was doing her physician’s residency in pathology in New York City, she attended Mass at St. Catherine of Siena located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Dominican Friars ran the church.
It was during her time at St. Catherine, while in her residency and then later after she retired as head of laboratory medicine at a major New York area hospital, that Bonnie observed many of the Dominican priests were aging.
“The Friars were encouraging support for vocations to their order,” Bonnie said. “I was happy to help because I saw the need.”
Dr. Bachl’s Seminarian Education Endowment Supports the Formation of Future Priests
Fast forward to today and Bonnie is enjoying her retirement with daily walks, Zumba, watercolor painting and reading at her senior living facility. She observed the same need for more priests in the Diocese of Allentown as she did when she lived in New York.
It’s for this reason, Bonnie started the Dr. Bonita Bachl Seminarian Education Endowment Fund with the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania. The fund supports scholarships, training, and professional development related to the education and formation of seminarians in the Diocese of Allentown. “More good priests are needed everywhere,” Bonnie said.