Mary Totah

Mary David Totah OSB, known as Sister Mary David, born Michelle Frieda Totah, (26 March 1957 - 28 August 2017) was an American nun who became prioress of St Cecilia's Abbey on the Isle of Wight, England.

Early life Totah was born in Philadelphia to Catholic Arab parents from Ramallah, Palestine. She grew up in Louisiana and attended Holy Savior Menard Central High School. where she was the first female student president. and in 1980 she became one of the first women to study at Christ Church, Oxford, (The term "Men of 1914" was used by Wyndham Lewis to refer to himself T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and James Joyce.) She began an academic career with a tenure-track appointment in the English Department at the College of William & Mary, Virginia, United States.

Religious calling

After having spent some time in retreat at the Benedictine St Cecilia's Abbey at Ryde on the Isle of Wight when she had completed her doctoral research, she decided to leave William and Mary and join the enclosed community there. She was its novice mistress for 22 years and the prioress for eight years.

Selected publications The Spirit of Solesmes: Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), Abbess Cécile Bruyère (1845-1909), Dom Paul Delatte (1848-1937), selected, edited and introduced by Mary David Totah (1996, Burns & Oates: ) (2nd edition published 2016) Deepening Prayer: Life defined by prayer (2006, Catholic Truth Society: ) Christian Fasting: Disciplining the body, awakening the spirit (2012, Catholic Truth Society: ) A Divine Gift: The consecrated life (2014, Catholic Truth Society: ) Confirmation: The spirit of Christ (2017, Catholic Truth Society: ) The Joy of God: Collected writings. Bloomsbury, London, 2020.