Apostle Toma

Apostle Toma, also known as Thomas the Apostle, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is commonly referred to as “Doubting Thomas” due to his initial skepticism about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thomas later professed his faith upon seeing the wounds on Jesus’ body. According to traditional accounts, Thomas traveled to preach the Gospel outside the Roman Empire, reaching places like Mylapore in South India and Muziris in Kerala in AD 52. He is regarded as the patron saint of India among Christians in the region, with the Feast of Saint Thomas celebrated on July 3. The name Thomas remains popular among the Saint Thomas Christians in India. Additionally, historical traditions in the Middle East and southern Asia also credit Apostle Thomas as the first evangelist to establish churches in those regions. The Doctrine of the Apostles reflects that Thomas wrote Christian doctrine from India, and various sources mention his missionary work in Parthia and India. Ephrem the Syrian recounts the legend of Thomas being put to death in India, with his remains later buried in Edessa.