A file image of Indian Christians praying outside a closed church during the coronavirus pandemic in Mumbai, Sept. 8, 2020. (Photo by Manoej Paateel/shutterstock.com)
By LiCAS.news
Jul 2 2021
Christians of various denominations in India announced that they will celebrate for the first time what they described as “Indian Christian Day” on July 3, feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle.
According to tradition, the saint supposedly traveled to India, as far as the Malabar Coast, which is in modern-day Kerala State, to preach the Gospel sometime in 52 AD.
Saint Thomas was reportedly martyred near Chennai in 72 AD and many Christians in India regard the saint as the patron of the country.
“By marking in 2021 and every year henceforth, we, as followers of the Lord Jesus, can preserve our identity within India’s cultural heritage, while uniting with all those who wish to celebrate it, irrespective of language, custom, creed, region or religion,” said organizers of the event in a report on AsiaNews.
They said they want people to understand that Christianity is not a foreign religion in India.
The celebration also aims to promote initiatives to launch a “Decade of Celebration” starting this year to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the “earthly mission of the Lord Jesus Christ whose teaching and principles of life have helped shape and transform India and the world.”
Read the full news in LiCAS.news.
