- Thomas the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament. He is considered by Indian Christians to be the Patron Saint of India.
- The expression Doubting Thomas refers to Thomas the Apostle, because at first he disbelieved the story of Jesus’ Resurrection.
The Acts of Thomas
- The Acts of Thomas are one of the Apocrypha in the New Testament.
- According to the Acts, Thomas was sent from Judaea to Muziris in 52 CE, on a Mission to convert India to Christianity.
- In 52 CE, Thomas the Apostle arrived in Muziris, India. He then crossed to the southeast coast of India, and was martyred in 72 CE in Mylapore.
Burial Place
- In 232 CE, his remains were sent to Edessa in Mesopotamia.
- In 1258 CE his relics were moved to the Cathedral of St Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Italy.
- In the 16th century CE, the Portuguese built a Basilica over his Tomb in Santhome, Chennai, (Madras) India. The San Thome Basilica of today was rebuilt by the British.
Santhomme Cathedral Basilica, Chennai