Although Thomas is sparsely quoted in scripture, he is mostly remembered for John 20:25 declaring, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe”. This earned him the nickname Doubting Thomas, however, he would no longer doubt when Jesus appeared to the apostles in John 20:26-28, when Thomas spoke the immortalized words: “My Lord and my God!”
According to tradition, he is said to have traveled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel. He followed the trade routes along the Arabian Sea until in 52 AD, he reached the Malabar Coast, southwestern portion of present-day India. It’s said that he established seven communities along the Malabar Coast and moved on to other parts of India with the Good News. Thomas was martyred in the year 72 AD, having been thrust with a spear.
The community he established, and which remains to this day are known as Saint Thomas Christians. Eventually, some of the St. Thomas Christians came into communion with the Roman Church and exist today.
Today, the San Thomas Cathedral Basilica stands directly over his burial site, one of only three churches in the world to stand above the burial site of an Apostle. Since as early as 1292, Christians have made pilgrimages to Saint Thomas' burial site. He is regarded as the patron saint of India.
St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint Thomas the Apostle was one of the twelve men chosen by Jesus. His story of how he came to know Jesus is not explicitly described in the Bible, however scripture and ancient writings indicate that Peter and Andrew brought Thomas to Christ.