feast day: 3 July
about:
- patron saint of architects
- called Didymus which means "the twin"
- was one of the original Apostles of Jesus Christ
- is informally called doubting Thomas because he doubted Jesus' resurrection when first told, (in the Gospel of John), followed later by his confession of faith, "My Lord and my God", on seeing Jesus' wounded body.
- Traditionally, he is said to have travelled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, travelling as far as India. According to tradition, the Apostle reached Muziris, India in AD 52 and baptized several people, founding what today are known as Saint Thomas Christians or Nasranis. After his death, the reputed relics of Saint Thomas the Apostle were enshrined as far as Mesopotamia in the 3rd century, and later moved to various places. In 1258, some of the relics were brought to Abruzzo in Ortona, Italy, where they have been held in the Church of Saint Thomas the Apostle. He is often regarded as the Patron Saint of India and the name Thoma remains quite popular among Saint Thomas Christians of India.
- He was a dedicated follower of Christ. Thomas, unwilling to believe other Apostles had seen the risen Lord, he earned the title "doubting Thomas". On Christ's second apparition, Thomas saw the wounds on our Lord's hands and side and proclaimed "My Lord and my God".
- As the Apostle dispersed, Thomas eventually reached India.
links/ sources:
- "Thomas the Apostle" (Wikipedia):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Apostle
- "St. Thomas the Apostle" (Catholic Encyclopedia):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14658b.htm - "St. Thomas" (Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=410
http://www.catholic.org/saints/fun_facts_arch.php?saint=410