The Feast of St. Thomas

July 3 is the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, 'Doubting' Thomas. Thomas came to, and is believed to be buried in - yes! right here in Chennai. In 1972, Pope Paul VI declared Thomas to be the apostle of India.


"Doubting Thomas" by Luca Signorelli (1441-1523)


According to this:

Accounts of Thomas's missionary activities are unreliable, but the most widely accepted account holds that he preached in India. The Acta Thomae say that when the apostles divided up the world for their missionary labors, India fell to Thomas. He said he was not healthy enough and that a Hebrew could not teach Indians; even a vision of Christ could not change his mind.

Christ then appeared to the merchant Abban and sold Thomas to him as a slave for his master, a king who ruled over part of India. When Thomas discovered this he said, "As you will, Lord, so be it."

At the court in India, Thomas, having admitted that he was a carpenter and builder, was ordered to build a palace. While the king was absent, however, Thomas did no building, and he used the 20 pieces of silver given to him by the king for charitable purposes.

When the king returned, he imprisoned him, intending to flay him alive. At that point, the king's brother died, and when the brother was shown the place in heaven that Thomas's good works had prepared for the king, he was allowed to return to earth and offer to buy the spot from the king for himself. The king refused, released Thomas, and was converted by him.

There exists a population of Christians along the Malabar Coast who were supposedly originally converted by Thomas, and their tradition holds that he built seven churches, was martyred by spearing on the "Big Hill" near Madras, and was buried in Mylapore. One account holds that Thomas was killed for successfully persuading a woman, Mygdonia, to cease marriage relations with her husband, Charisius.

It is certainly possible that Thomas reached India as a missionary. Indian Christians, especially in Kerala, often call themselves 'Christians of Saint Thomas,' and an ancient 6th-century cross that speaks of him in an inscription lies in the church of Mylapore. In 1522, the Portuguese found the alleged tomb, and some relics now lie in the Cathedral of Saint Thomas at Mylapore.


Pics of Santhome Cathedral, where relics of St. Thomas are buried.


Information about St. Thomas' Mount, where St. Thomas is believed to have been killed.

Update: Here's a link to St. Thomas Christians -- thanks to From Behind the Wall of Sleep.

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