St. Thomas of India to Argentina
A few meters from our home in Argentina, at the top of the Hill, in Sao Tome lives in recent years a large sculpture of St. Thomas Apostle. In his image is captured the look of surprise that he was the saint when he met the risen Jesus.
Caused us some surprise that inspires devotion this holy in India, especially in the South of this country. «I am a Catholic from the first generations. Our faith comes from St. Thomas Apostle. » So we explained in a village near Kanchipuram, the city of temples of South India, Joseph Fernando.
In Chennai or Madras, the two forms are told here from South India, is the church that has the remains of the apostle St. Thomas. Sao Tome And like Argentina, also here on the outskirts of the city set on a hill figure of St. Thomas Apostle, where he is said martyred.
We arrived at Madras at noon with enough heat. At the entrance of the mountain we find Rossmary, dressed in traditional sari, Tamil and speaks only with his daughter Leoni, making translator.
We explain all the details of Mt. Rosemary is determined to take us to pray at the small church that crowns the mountain, where the saint was martyred. Inside the church is preserved bloody cross, according to tradition, St. Thomas. Next to a picture of the «Mary», «Mother is» as they say, so lovingly in India to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Rosemary has great devotion and he explains to Mary, my wife, with gestures that women who have difficulty having children come to pray.
I’m impressed by the faith and how to manifest it in Rossmary. With its elegant sari slowly with deep respect and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament greeted first, but then one by one, the images in the church. When we were checking several nuns accompanied an Indian and some Franciscan congregation, asked permission and went to greet the giant image of the apostle who chairs the soup kitchen, where some people still ate.
As we go down the stairs, Rossmary invited us to stay at home which is in a nearby town, three hours by bus. Walking the miles that separated us from home to home in India this home, I look at Rossmary, his daughter Leoni, my wife Mary and I how far and what is near Santo Tomé (Argentina) in the great city of Madras ( India). At the heart of the people of both nations, joins the faith of this Apostle. St. Thomas of India to Argentina.
