In the Steps of Thomas the Apostle

Chennai is the home of the St. Thomas Basilica and two of the places where tradition holds that he taught the Gospel and established the Church in India. A Syriac work entitled The Doctrine of the Apostles, dating from the 2nd century A. D., records that the faithful received "what had been written by James from Jerusalem and Simon from the City of Rome, and John from Ephesus and Mark from the great Alexandria, and Andrew from Phyrgia and Luke from Macedonia and Judas Thomas from India. . ."

He began his work on the Malabar Coast in western India and later traveled to the Coromandel Coast where we live. There seems to be a lot of documentation from the early days, Catholic and nonCatholic, Christian and nonChristian, to support the tradition of Thomas' evangelical work in India.

We spent one Saturday visiting the sites and getting the story. First we visited St. Thomas Basilica, then the "little mount" where he lived and preached the gospel, and then St. Thomas mount where he fled persecution and was martyred.

Vickie at the entrance to the basilica. "Basilica" means palace and this is one of three in the world commemorating burial places of original apostles. Peter's is in Rome, of course, and James' is at Santiago de Compostela, Spain.


There wasn't enough room across the street to get a full photo of the front of the basilica, so this quarter hind-view will have to do. It really is a magnificent structure, modeled after the great European cathedrals, as you can see.


The interior of the basilica, looking at the altar and the crucifix. The photo was taken standing by a glass inlay in the floor that looks down on his original tomb where several relics remain buried. The body was later exhumed and moved to Edessa, a crusader town in Greece.


Next we visited the little mount. The two small chapels were built by the Portuguese in 1551, the larger on the left is a modern construction. The one on the right in back sits over the cave wherein Thomas lived and the area where he sat and preached to the locals. Behind it lies a spring which, according to tradition, he miraculously opened to provide water for his thirsty listeners.


The cave in the little mount where Thomas lived until threats of violence became serious and unavoidable. One worshipper kneels in prayer, seeking divine intercession. The granite room is about 15 x 18 feet.


Tradition holds that Thomas carved this cross in the stone above and outside of the cave. It has obviously been adored by many pilgrims through the years.


Off we went from the small mount two miles across town to St. Thomas Mount, where Thomas fled to escape persecution. The snack shop on the left is called Mount Manna. Of course it is.

The shrine of the crucifixion on the Mount. Several of the faithful were there when we were, even though it was a very hot Saturday afternoon. This was where St. Thomas was martyred by a Hindu war lance at the urging of ministers to the king stirred up by local brahmins. The story is that he began his ministry in India in 48 AD and died in 72 AD.

I have no idea.

Three sainted ladies gather on the Mount: Mother Joyce, Mother Teresa, and Mother Vickie.


The convent on St. Thomas Mount maintains a foundling home. The babies are referred here by health care providers and social service agencies. The wee ones are well cared for by the nuns and are available for adoption within India by those who meet the criteria. We enjoyed a nice conversation with the gentle sisters in the information center/gift shop. You see Chennai in the background, looking toward the Bay of Bengal. Altogether is was an enjoyable and informative day.