Abba Samuel spent most of his early years at the monastery of St. Macarius the Great in Wadi Natrun, Egypt, and was a disciple of Abba Aghathon. He was ordained a priest, and God gave him the gift of healing and performing miracles. St. Samuel also suffered at the hands of sun-worshiping Berbers who took him captive for some time before releasing him to return back to his monastery in Mount Qalamon. The Blessed Holy Virgin Mary then appeared to him and told him, "This place shall be my abode forever," and from that day the Berbers never attacked this monastery again.