Thomas, St. One of the twelve apostles. According to John 20. 25–8 he doubted Jesus' resurrection until Jesus appeared to him and invited him to touch his wounds. In later tradition, the Acts of Thomas, a 3rd-cent., ascetical, and probably gnostic work, recounts Thomas's missionary work in India. The Syrian ‘Christians of St Thomas’ in Kerala, S. India (along with some Western scholars) strongly defend this tradition as explaining the origin of their church. Feast day: 3 July in the Roman Catholic and Syrian Churches; 21 Dec. in the Church of England; 6 Oct. in the Greek Church.

The Gospel of Thomas is a Coptic document consisting of 114 secret sayings of Jesus to his disciples. This work is not to be confused with the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a collection of miracle stories about the child Jesus.

Thomas, Saint One of the original 12 Apostles or disciples of Jesus Christ. He has been called ‘Doubting Thomas’ because, after the resurrection of Christ, he refused to believe that the risen Lord had indeed appeared to the other disciples (John 20). Only when Jesus appeared to him and allowed him to touch his wounds did he lay aside his doubts. According to Christian tradition, he took Christianity to India. His feast day is July 3.