Early Christian saint – one of the Twelve Apostles
This article is about the Christian saint. For the name "Thomas", see Thomas (name). For other uses, see Thomas.
Saint
Thomas the Apostle
The Apostle Thomas, Rubens, c. 1613
Born
1st century AD Galilee, Judea, Roman Empire
Died
AD 72 St. Thomas Mount, Early Chola dynasty present-day Parangimalai, Tamil Nadu, India
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
3 July: (Jacobite), Malankara Orthodox Church, Latin Church, Liberal Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Believers Eastern Church, Syriac Catholic Church[2]
21 December: (Jacobite), Malankara Orthodox Church, some Anglican Com •
St. Thomas, Apostle
St. Thomas, Apostle, Albani-Psalter
With the Lord
Jesus “appointed twelve,” the gospel of Mark says, “that they might be with him” (Mk 3:14). We know nothing of Thomas’ life before the Lord called him, but we do know that the call resounded in this Jewish man’s life as nothing before or after it. We know, too, that this call worked in him for the rest of his life, ultimately leading him to the ends of the earth. The first time that we hear from Thomas in the gospels, he exhorts his fellow disciples to accompany Jesus to Bethany, near enough to Jerusalem to be hostile territory: “Let us also go to die with him” (Jn 11:16). He was a man who loved his Master, then, and a man of courage. But above all, he was a man whose life was marked by the most inconceivable event in the history of the world: the Resurrection of his Lord.
A mistake, and the mercy of God
Thomas made one mistake that is recorded in the gospels, and it was not first to doubt. It was to be absent from the assembled Church on the evening of the Resurrection. Thomas was alone, without the
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St. Thomas the Apostle
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Little is recorded of St. Thomas the Apostle, nevertheless thanks to the fourth Gospel his personality is clearer to us than that of some others of the Twelve. His name occurs in all the lists of the Synoptists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6, cf. Acts 1:13), but in St. John he plays a distinctive part. First, when Jesus announced His intention of returning to Judea to visit Lazarus, "Thomas" who is called Didymus [the twin], said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11:16). Again it was St. Thomas who during the discourse before the Last Supper raised an objection: "Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?" (John 14:5). But more especially St. Thomas is remembered for his incredulity when the other Apostles announced Christ's Resurrection to him: "Except I