St thomas Church
India is a multicultural, multi religious country with a known power of tolerance and upholding of all religions.
One of the best examples of this multi religious faith is the way the even the non Christians visiting and praying at various churches, including the very famous St. Thomas church situated on the beach front of the Chennai city.
San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Santhome, in the city of Chennai. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. We get to see the the British version standing as a testimony to have man made edifices stands defying the mortality of the men who build them. It was designed in neo-Gothic style, favored by British architects in the late 19th century.
It is supposedly built atop the tomb of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. Thomas. The apostle is believed to have preached in Chennai between 52 A.D. and 72 A.D., when he is said to have been killed on St. Thomas Mount. The tomb of the Apostle is underneath the church and the museum houses the bones and all other materials recovered from the site.
Pope John Paul visited and prayed here.
Santhome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on February 11, 2006 it was declared as an international shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The Santhome Basilica is a pilgrimage center for Christians in India.
It seems that apart from St Thomas Basilica, there are just two others which are build over the remains of the principal disciples of Jesus - the St Peter Church in Vatican and the other one in Spain.
St. Thomas Mount A top the 76 metre high hill is believed to be the place where St. Thomas was martyred. An old church, built by the Portuguese around 1514 is located here. Among the interesting relics in the church is an old stone cross that the apostle is said to have clutched in his hand while dying. The blood-like stains on the cross have given it the name Bleeding Cross and the mystic stains on it have to this day been found to be too deep to be removed. On the wall above the altar is an oil painting of the Madonna that was brought to India by St. Thomas and is believed to be one of the seven that were painted by St.Luke. For any visitor flying into the city, the St Thomas Mount is the one which he or she will see just before the aircraft lands into the city.
One of the best examples of this multi religious faith is the way the even the non Christians visiting and praying at various churches, including the very famous St. Thomas church situated on the beach front of the Chennai city.
San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Santhome, in the city of Chennai. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. We get to see the the British version standing as a testimony to have man made edifices stands defying the mortality of the men who build them. It was designed in neo-Gothic style, favored by British architects in the late 19th century.
It is supposedly built atop the tomb of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. Thomas. The apostle is believed to have preached in Chennai between 52 A.D. and 72 A.D., when he is said to have been killed on St. Thomas Mount. The tomb of the Apostle is underneath the church and the museum houses the bones and all other materials recovered from the site.
Pope John Paul visited and prayed here.
Santhome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on February 11, 2006 it was declared as an international shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The Santhome Basilica is a pilgrimage center for Christians in India.
It seems that apart from St Thomas Basilica, there are just two others which are build over the remains of the principal disciples of Jesus - the St Peter Church in Vatican and the other one in Spain.
St. Thomas Mount A top the 76 metre high hill is believed to be the place where St. Thomas was martyred. An old church, built by the Portuguese around 1514 is located here. Among the interesting relics in the church is an old stone cross that the apostle is said to have clutched in his hand while dying. The blood-like stains on the cross have given it the name Bleeding Cross and the mystic stains on it have to this day been found to be too deep to be removed. On the wall above the altar is an oil painting of the Madonna that was brought to India by St. Thomas and is believed to be one of the seven that were painted by St.Luke. For any visitor flying into the city, the St Thomas Mount is the one which he or she will see just before the aircraft lands into the city.
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