Catholic Tourist

Basilica · India

San Thome Basilica and Traditional Tomb of St. Thomas

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Apostolic TraditionBasilicaLiving Catholic ChurchTraditional TombCatholic India: Apostles, Saints & Living Churches collectionActive Catholic minor basilica and national shrine; the tomb is presented according to longstanding Church tradition with archaeological certainty carefully qualified.

Why pilgrims come

A sacred place worth the journey.

A major Indian Catholic basilica built over the place long venerated as the burial site of St. Thomas the Apostle. The apostolic association is an ancient ecclesiastical tradition, not a modern archaeological identification of complete certainty.

TraditionCatholic

The pilgrim’s guide

What makes this visit meaningful

Pray at one of Christianity’s three great apostolic-tomb traditions and encounter the living Indian Church that traces its memory to St. Thomas.

01

The apostolic tomb tradition

Descend to the prayer space associated for centuries with St. Thomas.

02

India’s ancient Christian memory

Place the basilica within the history of the St. Thomas Christian communities.

Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations

Feast of St. Thomas the ApostleConnected to this place through traditional burial site and principal apostolic patron.