Sami Totah

Rev. Msgr. Sami Yacoub Totah

Was born on February 7, 1947 in Ramallah, Palestine to the late Yacoub and Jamileh Totah. He is the younger brother of the late Jalil Totah and is survived by his brothers Samir and Ramzi, his beloved sister Samia Domian and their families.

Msgr. Sami entered the Latin Patriarchal Seminary in Beit Jala, Palestine in 1959 where he studied Philosophy and Theology. After completing 12 years in the seminary, he was Ordained a Priest at the hands of Patriarch Yacoub Beltriti on June 5, 1971 at the Co-Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus in the Old City, Jerusalem, Palestine. After his ordination, Fr. Sami was assigned as assistant parish priest at the Latin Parish of Madaba where he served with the greatly beloved late Fr. George Saba. Upon Fr. George's illness, Fr. Sami became the interim pastor in Madaba where he served until 1975. In 1976, Fr. Sami came to the United States to visit his family in San Francisco. While in San Francisco, Patriarch Beltriti called upon Abouna Sami to go to Yonkers, New York in order to serve the Arab-American Catholics there.

Since 1977, Abouna Sami has served his beloved community at the Good Shepherd Church of St. Mary's in Yonkers New York. In 2011, Abouna Sami was made Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Benedict XVI with the title of Monsignor. His Beatitude Patriarch Fouad Twal was happy to extend the honorary title upon him during his last pastoral visit to the community. Having served as the beloved pastor for so long, the community loved Msgr. Sami greatly. During his life Msgr. Sami continued to love and support the Church in the Holy Land despite serving here in America.

On Sunday Morning, July 20, 2014 Msgr. Sami passed into eternal life at St. Thomas More Catholic Church surrounded by his family and parishioners.

There will be a Rosary Service held for Msgr. Sami on Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00 PM at St. Thomas More Catholic Church-1300 Junipero Serra Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94132. On Wednesday, July 23 at 10:00 AM there will be a Funeral Mass held at the same Church followed by his committal at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, CA.