St Thomas the Apostle.
1st C. ~ Thomas was born in Galilee and named Didymus which means “twin”. It is thought his twin brother was St James, the Less. Thomas was one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles and he was a very loyal and devoted follower and friend of Jesus. He was also given the name “Doubting Thomas” because he wanted to see for himself the risen Christ. John 20:25-29
What happened to Thomas after the Resurrection is not quite clear. It is believed he set out on a missionary journey to Persia, but tradition says he also went to India to preach. In Indian folk lore, there are many stories of Thomas. He is thought to have had great success with the Christians in Malabar, but other people were not so welcoming and he died a martyr by being speared. A stone cross marks the place where he was buried, but his remains were moved to Edessa in Greece in 394. He is known as the “Apostle of India” and he was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1972.