[External view of the SANTHOME Cathedral basilica, Milapore, India which is over the burial place of St. Thomas]

This Church stands in the position of the Church built by Apostle St. Thomas himself. It had gone through many alterations and re-constructions through centuries and you learn that stages as you go along with the chain of burial place excavation.

It cannot be stated exactly with historical certitude the year when the Saint's remains were taken from Milapore but we have situations that match with the records to assume the approximate time.

The story of excavations begins here...

To add reliability, let us hear to St. Gregory of Tours (538-593 AD)He states in his book (in Latin) "Liber de miraculis S. St. Thomase" .

Excavation I

circumstance of opening: The son of King Mahadevan fell ill and he said afflicted "I will open the grave of the Apostle and take a relic from his remains to hang it on my boy's neck so that he will live." It said that he had a vision of the Apostle on the way to grave. His another son 'Vizayan' who was a baptized Christian and the Bishop Paul Sitaraman opened the grave of Apostle and gave some earth soaked with the blood of Martyrd Apostle to the King.

This seems now to have been the first opening of the tomb - says: cf Zaleski in his 'Apostle St. Thomas in India pp.90,92, 186-87.

View of the inner space that consists the tomb in the SANTHOME Cathedral basilica, Milapore, India]

View of the inner space that consists the tomb in the SANTHOME Cathedral basilica, Milapore, India]

[close up view of the tomb in the SANTHOME Cathedral basilica, Milapore, India]

Excavation II

It was when the remains of the Apostle was transferred to Edessa. St. Gregory of Tours records that it happened many years after the Apostles death. We can conclude it is before 373 AD because in this year St. Ephraim passed away and in his records he speaks about the relics of St. Thomas preserved in Edessa, Asia Minor. Some historians says it happened during the reign of King Abgar IX in Edessa who was converted to Christianity and made it the 'State Religion'. The Christians of India was under the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Edessa during the period, which made things easier. On august 22, 394 AD, the casket containing the relics was transferred to the new Church in Edessa.

says cf. Medlycott in his 'India and Apostle St. Thomas,, p.279 and Zaleski pg 86-87.

In about AD. 1144, when the places which the crusaders had conquered in Asia fell back into the hands of Turks, the relics were recovered from the ruined Church, and removed to the Island of 'Chios', in the Mediterranean, to prevent from desecration. The relics remained in 'Chios' till AD 1258 and then transfered to Ortona, on the Adriatic Coast on 6th September 1258 in a ship called 'Leo Acciaiuoli'.

After the opening of the tomb to bring the relics to Edessa, the tomb a was not opened until the arrival of Portuguese in July 1523 AD, after more than 1300 years. These many years the tomb and surrounding was kept sacred with identification of the spots since the Edissa transfer was not complete but left back few of the relics.

The Portuguese excavation is interesting.

Excavation III

The context of the excavation in 1523 was based on the notes of 'Bishop Marignolli' in 1349 who made written statements in this regard. The process of excavation is contained in a document which has the form of a statement, made under oath, by a Portuguese, Diego Fernandes' an old man of good conduct and it is found in the archives of the society of Jesus in Rome among the Goa manuscripts. The details of manuscript in short. Diego Fernandus said that he has arrived at San Thome at Mailapur in March 1517 and invited to see the tomb. He found the ruined body of a Church with the monument and a Moor (whose ancestors were Christians) entrusted to light the house of Apostle. He also showed some signs of the Apostle and shared his testimony of getting the eyesight through the Apostle. After decision to dig the monument with the knowledge of Fr. Antonio Gil and first found the bones of the first King converted by St. Thomas. All the authority and reputed people including the Captain made their confession and began to open the grave at one o'clock past mid day on a Saturday of July 1523.           

Relizue of St. Thomas
preserved at Ortona - Italy

[Diagram of the graveyard of St. Thomas - 16 ft deep when digged first]

[Piece of a hand Bone of St. Thomas which touched the wound of Jesus, it was brought from Edessa and preserved in the Milapore St. Thomas Museum]

[Tip of the lance that took the life of St. Thomas which was recovered from the grave during the portuguese excavation and preserved in the Milapore St. Thomas Museum]

THE PROCESS

They first dug 10 spans deep and found plastered walls well made with bricks, embedded in mortar and lime. On removing the earth again 2 spans of mortar a. This also cleared but came upon a similar layer. After that they found 3 spans of loose earth. Under that one more mortar layer for two spans.Again 2 spans further there was 2 stone slabs with no inscription on them. On removing it again they found loose earth. It was midnight and the work was stopped for the day.

Digging was resumed on Sunday early from the morning. Four spans of loose earth was scooped up. At this stage the tomb was 16 spans deep. There upon was sand and quicklime. On clearing this, they came upon 'Some bones of the skull' then some of the spine .. at the foot of the tomb, there was an earthen vessel with a capacity of six gallon filled with full of earth. Further, a spear head entirely of 'Malabar iron' having the shape of an olive leaf and stuck on a portion of a wooden shaft were discovered in the tomb at the place of corresponding to the thigh.

Fr. Antonio sent for the captin Manuel di Faria and later the priest put the bones in the smaller receptacle of the coffer and after a solemn procession, closed it with a lock… Captain Manuel di Fria took the keys with him to hand over to the viceroy of Goa.

Till 1558-59, things remained calm, in between Francis Xavior came here in 1545 and took a piece of bone. Then, during the Vijayanagara Invasion, Relics were taken to Chandragiri and he returned it back to Santhome. Later, the Viceroy of Goa planned to shift the Relics into the proposed big Basilica in Goa, eventually the plan was cancelled and the Bishop of Cochin 'Dom Frey jorge de Themudo' became the custodian and it was kept in the Cochin cathedral till 1600 AD. His successor testifies in his reports of 1600 AD 'recorded as "This April of 1601 AD, I sent these Relics and the iron (tip of the lance) to Santhome and they are already there with the other ones" and it proves that the one half of the relics were there in Santhome.

Then the King of Golconda invaded and took possession of Santhome for 11 years till they were ousted by the French in 1672. Before the Golconda entry, to avoid desecration, the Portuguese placed the Relics in a 'Martban Jar' and buried it in the Chapel of the Sepulcher, later removed and kept in secrecy with a resident of madras 'Antonio Coelho' and again brought to the Church custody when the situation was normal.

Excavation IV

In April 1729 Ad, the tomb was re-opened in order to distribute earth to the pilgrims. Now the upper part of the place within the Chapel towards the east where an alter had formerly been erected, was opened

Conclusion

The last reference to the Reliquary is the pastoral Visit to the Cathedral by His Excellency Dom Reed da Silva, Bishop of Mylapore after he took charge in 1887. The Monstrance was opened and examined after breaking the seals.

"it was found to contain the among other Relics, the piece of spear, a small piece of the Apostle's bone. This is all that the Cathedral possess"

"ORTONA, THE POSSOSSOR OF MYLAPORE TREASURE"

In return to this treasure, the Arch Bishop of Cathedral Chapter, Clergvand Faithful have send to the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore an important Relic from the hand that touched the wound of Jesus Christ on 13th December 1953.