FEAST DAY

The feast of saint Thomas is celebrated on July 3 in the Catholic Church, which is the day of the transfer of his remains to Edessa. The Lutheran Church celebrates him on December 21.

Among the apostles, Thomas is remembered chiefly for his doubt about the Resurrection of Christ. The Sunday after the Resurrection, he made up for his unbelief with a profession of faith: “My Lord and my God!” According to tradition, he preached the Gospel as far as in Persia and India, where he was martyred.

A group of Christian denominations from Kerala, India – Saint Thomas Christians – trace their origins to the evangelic activity of Thomas in the 1st century. These groups of Christians have been in sporadic contacts with the rest of Christianity until the 16th century. The arrival of the Portuguese in India (1498) and their attempt to bring the community under the auspices of Latin Rite Catholicism resulted in permanent rifts in the community.

Several Churches within Saint Thomas Christian tradition exist nowadays: some of them are in communion with the Catholic Church, some with the Orthodox Church, or with Anglican Communion.