July 3: St. Thomas, the Patron Saint of India. secretsofhappinessandhealth
Saint Thomas is famous for having doubted the Resurrection of Jesus and for demanding physical proof of the wounds of Christ's Crucifixion. The phrase "doubting Thomas" was coined for his lack of faith. When Jesus showed him the wounds, St. Thomas became the first person to explicitly acknowledge the divinity of Jesus. Thomas's visit to India. During 1289, sent by Pope Nicolas IV to India and China, John of Monte Carvino, a Franciscan friar, visited the Coromandel Coast and stayed in India for 13 months. He also stayed at San Thom where the tomb of St. Thomas stands (Yule, Henry and Cordier, Henri, Cathay and the way Thither). The Saint Thomas Christians have also been nicknamed such due to their reverence for Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is said to have brought Christianity to India. The name dates back to the period of Portuguese colonisation. They are also known, especially locally, as Nasrani or Nasrani Mappila. "Even the Pope has made it clear that St Thomas had not visited Kerala. But a certain section among Kerala Christians have been nursing a certain caste bias claiming to be descendants of upper caste Hindus who were converted to Christianity," said Fr Thelakkat.