A cathedral with an illustrious past

 

Santhome Cathedral has seen several renovations to keep the saint’s history intact. 

Santhome Cathedral Basilica, which is dedicated to Saint Thomas,  believed to be one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, used to be only a tiny chapel with a symmetric facade of timber. It has a history of renovations and additions by different communities. 

The chapel was built in the 1500s by the Portuguese who established their first official settlement that brought colonial traders to the area.

The first building came into being in 1523 when Armenian merchants showed the tomb to Portuguese sailors who rebuilt St.Thomas’s tomb. The church became a parish in 1524. Later in 1606, the building was refurbished. The British rebuilt the church in 1893 and declared it a basilica in 1956.

It was in 2002 the renovation of 106 years happened where a new passageway to the St.Thomas tomb was built by the then-parish community.

As the present Vicar of Santhome Basilica narrates, “St Thomas was believed to have visited India during the reign of king Kandaparasar in 52 CE. He was martyred near what is now called St Thomas Mount, and his remains were found near Santhome Church. “

The crypt of St Thomas is located under the church, along with relics in a small museum above it. The vicar explained that the place got its name from two peacocks (Mylu in Tamil) that were at the cross of Jesus Christ when the saint visited the place. 

Said the assistant vicar of the basilica: “St. Thomaa is called the Patron Saint of India, for spreading Christianity in the country. He spent a few years in what is now called St. Thomas Mount in Chennai, performing miracles for believers. After his death, he was laid to rest at the cathedral’s present site. The presence of his tomb makes this church a holy shrine. St. Xavier, traveler Marco Polo, and many others had visited the place to pay tributes at the tomb.” 

Santhome Basilica has an all-white facade and is built in neo-Gothic style, with big windows and naturally lit interiors. The windows have color-stained panes. 

The museum has the great apostle’s fingerprint and there are wall paintings depicting the saint’s life and death. It holds the spearhead that killed him, a bishop's chair, a piece of his bone, a stone vessel, and other antiquities.

The latest renovation of the church took place in 2006 when the parish community and believers donated the fund for the repair. The basilica is maintained throughout and researchers visit the place to study the architecture of the building. The building’s slender white pillars, wooden covers, colored window panes, and illuminated interiors are study material for visiting students and researchers.