Global InformationThomas the Apostle information
Saint Thomas the Apostle | |
|---|---|
 The Apostle Thomas, Rubens, c.1613 | |
| Apostle, Preacher, Bishop, and Martyr | |
| Born | 1st century AD Galilee, Judea, Roman Empire[1] |
| Died | AD 72 St. Thomas Mount, Chola Kingdom |
| Venerated in | All Christian denominations that venerate saints, especially Saint Thomas Christians |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Major shrine | St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Mylapore, Chennai, India, St. Thomas Major Archi Episcopal Shrine, Palayoor Kerala, India, Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle in Ortona, Italy |
| Feast |
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| Attributes | The Twin, placing his finger in the side of Christ, nelumbo nucifera, spear (means of his Christian martyrdom), square (his profession, a builder) |
| Patronage | Architects, for Christians in India (including Saint Thomas Christians and Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore), Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Pula (Croatia) and São Tomé and Príncipe |
Thomas the Apostle (Greek: Θωμᾶς; Syriac ܬܐܘܡܐ, Tʾōmā, meaning "the twin"),[a] also known as Didymus (Greek: Δίδυμος Didymos, meaning "twin"), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Thomas is commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ when he was told of it (as is related in the Gospel of John); he later confessed his faith ("My lord and my God") on seeing the places where the wounds had healed on the holy body of Jesus after the Crucifixion of Jesus. While it is often assumed he touched the wounds in art and poetry, the scriptures do not say that he touched the wounds.
According to traditional accounts of the Saint Thomas Christians of modern-day states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India, Saint Thomas travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as Mylapore in South India (modern-day Tamil Nadu)[1][4][5][6] and reached Muziris (modern-day North Paravur and Kodungalloor in Kerala State) in AD 52.[7][8][1] In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Ortona, in Abruzzo, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle.[9] He is regarded as the patron saint of India among its Christian adherents,[10][11] and the Feast of Saint Thomas on July 3 is celebrated as Indian Christians' Day.[12][13] The name Thomas remains quite popular among the Saint Thomas Christians of the Indian subcontinent.
Many churches in the Middle East and southern Asia, besides India, also mention Apostle Thomas in their historical traditions as being the first evangelist to establish those churches, the Assyrian Church of the East,[14] the early church of Sri Lanka.[15]
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- ^ a b c Fahlbusch et al. 2008, p. 285.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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st-takla.orgwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Slapak 1995, p. 27.
- ^ Medlycott 1905.
- ^ Puthiakunnel 1973.
- ^ Johnson & Zacharia 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
stthomawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
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catholic-saints.infowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Medlycott 1905, Ch. IV.
- ^ Carvalho, Nirmala (29 June 2021). "First Indian Christian Day on 3 July". AsiaNews. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ Kumar, Anugrah (4 July 2021). "India: Christians celebrate first Indian Christian Day, feast of St. Thomas". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Socotra: The Mysterious Island of the Assyrian Church of the East". Church of Beth Kokheh Journal. 11 April 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Sri Lanka: a brief history of Christianity". Scoop News. 23 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
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