Saints
T

Saint · Apostolic age

Saint Thomas the Apostle

Period
1st century
Feast days
3 July · 6 October
Associated region
Galilee; by tradition Persia and India

Apostle remembered for his confession “My Lord and my God” and, by tradition, his mission to India.

Key timeline

View timeline in full
  1. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    One of the Twelve

  2. 1st century (tradition)Traditional

    Mission to India

    Tradition places his preaching and martyrdom in southern India.

  3. 3rd century

    Acts of Thomas written

    Syriac narrative of his mission, the earliest written form of the India tradition.

John’s Gospel gives Thomas his best-known moment: doubting the resurrection until he sees the risen Jesus, then confessing “My Lord and my God”.

Principal written sources

  • Gospel of John (11, 14, 20, 21)
  • Acts of Thomas (3rd century; not part of the biblical canon)

Full timeline

  1. 1st centuryNew Testament account

    One of the Twelve

  2. 1st century (tradition)Traditional

    Mission to India

    Tradition places his preaching and martyrdom in southern India.

  3. 3rd century

    Acts of Thomas written

    Syriac narrative of his mission, the earliest written form of the India tradition.

Feast days
  • 3 July — Roman Catholic calendar; Dukhrana in Syro-Malabar tradition
  • 6 October — Byzantine calendar
Venerated in (starting dataset)
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican.
Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
India, Architects, Builders
Places
Galilee · Edessa (tradition) · Kerala and Mylapore (tradition)

Accounts in the starting dataset

The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.

  • New Testament accountNew Testament account

    “Placing fingers into wounds of Risen Christ (John 20)”

    John 20:24–29. Jesus invites Thomas to touch the wounds; the text does not say that he did.

  • TraditionalLater tradition

    “Miraculous healing of King Abgar of Edessa / founding Malabar Christians”

    The Abgar legend (Eusebius; Doctrine of Addai) credits the healing to Addai (Thaddeus), sent by Thomas. The Saint Thomas Christians of India trace their origin to Thomas.

About the image · Editorial design

Editorial initial. No likeness of Thomas survives.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    britannica.com

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 20). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 20. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

#
12
Saint / Title
Saint Thomas the Apostle
Primary Traditions Veneration
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican
Feast Day(s)
July 3 / Oct 6
Era / Lived
1st Century AD
Origin / Region
Galilee / India
Patronage & Major Roles
India, Architects, Builders
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
Placing fingers into wounds of Risen Christ (John 20)
Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
Miraculous healing of King Abgar of Edessa / founding Malabar Christians
Key Contribution / Historical Significance
Evangelized Persia and India; confessed 'My Lord and my God' after questioning Resurrection.
Reference Link
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Thomas-Apostle

Editorial notes on this record

  • Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2: Abgar healing is attributed in the sources to Addai/Thaddeus, not Thomas.