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Chennai (Madras) Sights

San Thome Cathedral

1 reviews | Write a review

  • Address
    • Kamarajar Salai Mylapore
  • Phone
    • 044 24985455

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Lonely Planet review for San Thome Cathedral

Originally built by the Portuguese in 1504, then rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1893, San Thome Cathedral is a soaring Roman Catholic church between Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Marina Beach. In the basement is a chapel housing the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle (Doubting Thomas), who it is said brought Christianity to the subcontinent in the 1st century.

 

Traveller reviews for San Thome Cathedral (1)

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    St Thome Cathedral

    jarath1 recommends this,

    If you are a Christian or a Catholic, this is really a site of pilgrimage. To actually see the soil where "Doubting Thomas" is buried is a sacred experience. In a lovely marble chapel beneath the cathedral, lies a glass coffin with a statue of St. Thomas and a replica of the spear that killed him, and then in front of this is a small cutaway of the actual soil his bones rest in. There are impressive photos of the previous pope, John Paul II, worshipping here on his trip to India in 1986. It is fascinating to realize there are only 3 churches worldwide built over the remains of Christ's apostles--St. Peter's in Rome, St. James in Spain, and this one in India. Also, St. Francis Xavier, another important Catholic saint, lived at the previous church in the 1500's, and there is still a statue of the Virgin Mary he worshipped inside the church. One last tidbit --you can buy what looks like a credit card for about 25 cents that contains a tiny bit of the soil Saint Thomas is buried in. It's a holy relic to keep in your wallet, and would make a wonderful gift for religious friends back home.

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