St. Thomas Mount National Shrine Basilica

St. Thomas Mount National Shrine Basilica
Main entrance to the church
St. Thomas Mount National Shrine Basilica
13°00′18″N80°11′36″E / 13.005127°N 80.1932298°E / 13.005127; 80.1932298
Country	India
Denomination	Catholic
Website	stthomasmountbasilica.com
History
Founded	1523 (1523)

Not to be confused with St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai or Little Mount Shrine.

St. Thomas Mount National Shrine Basilica is a national shrine located in Parangimalai in Tamil Nadu.

The ancient Syrian Christian community of India traces the origin of their church to St. Thomas the Apostle.

In 1523, the Portuguese missionary Diego Fernandes built a small oratory on the Mount, reportedly over the foundations of an earlier church. As the number of pilgrims grew, Gaspar Coelho, the Vicar of the Church of Mylapore, laid the foundation for a larger church in 1547 and dedicated it to Our Lady of the Mount. The church is believed to have served as a lighthouse for Portuguese and Armenian ships during the 16th century.

The altar of this shrine was built on the spot where St. Thomas' death is traditionally believed to have occurred. At the northern foot of the mount is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the mount. The steps leading up the hill were donated by the famous Armenian Coja Petrus Uscan. There are 14 Stations of the Cross on the way to the summit.

The 500th anniversary of the church was celebrated in November 2023. ^[1] Pope John Paul II visited the place on February 5, 1986. The shrine was elevated to the status of a minor basilica on 3 July 2025. ^[2] The church is home to the Bleeding Cross of St. Thomas - a relic venerated as having been carved by the Apostle himself. Tradition holds that this Cross miraculously oozed blood on December 18th, the date commemorated as the martyrdom of St. Thomas, for 150 consecutive years. ^[3]

There are other chapels on the Mount, including:

• Chapel of Our Lady of Expectations, patroness of the shrine.
• Chapel of St. Thomas, now called the Sanctuary of the Apostle.
• Eucharistic Chapel

Gallery

Exterior of the church

• 
  Entrance to the shrine
• 
  St. Thomas Church on the Mount
• 
  Bell tower
• 
  Blessed Sacrament Adoration Chapel
• 
  Mary Untier of Knots
• 
  Flagstaff
• 
  Mother Teresa

Interior of the church

• 
  Nave
• 
  Altar
• 
  Relic of an apostle
• 
  Saint Anthony and infant Jesus
• 
  Gravestone in the entrance

Stations of the Cross

The 14 Stations of the Cross are positioned along the 160-step climb up the Mount.

• 
  3: Jesus falls for the first time.
• 
  5: Simon helps carry the cross.
• 
  10: Jesus is stripped of his garments.
• 
  13: Jesus is taken down from the cross.
• 
  14: Jesus is laid in the tomb.

References

1. Thomas, Liffy (26 November 2023). "St. Thomas Mount National Shrine: 500 years on a hillock". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
2. Service, RVA Tamil News (9 July 2025). "Historic St. Thomas Shrine in South India Elevated to Minor Basilica". RVA. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
3. "St. Thomas Mount Shrine, Chennai, Elevated as Minor Basilica". Catholic Connnect. Retrieved 19 October 2025.