Indian Christian Day will be celebrated on July 3, 2022, at St. Vincent de Paul Syro-Malankara Catholic Cathedral in Elmont, New York, at 5:00 PM. Indian Christians have chosen the martyrdom day of Saint Thomas to celebrate around the globe the heritage and legacy of Christianity in India. The event, which celebrates the life and ministry of Thomas the Apostle, is also designed to stress that Christianity is not a foreign religion to India.
The founders of the event chose July 3 because it is traditionally observed as Saint Thomas Day- the day celebrating Thomas the Apostle, who brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to India in 52 AD. It is historically accepted that Saint Thomas was martyred near Chennai, located in India’s Tamil Nadu state, in 72 AD. “By marking it in 2021, and every year henceforth, we, as followers of 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,” the event’s founders stated.
Father Babu Joseph, a former spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said the initiative would also help Christianity overcome the false narratives spread by Hindutva fundamentalists. “This is an important step in recognizing Christianity as part of India’s history and ethos; In light of attempts by some right-wing organizations to create the impression that Christianity is foreign to India, it is necessary to highlight its antiquity in the country.” Said Father Joseph.
John Mathew of California, one of the founders of this event, said, “It is our great honor, as Indian followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, to celebrate Indian Christian Day / Yeshu Bhakti Divas to commemorate the martyrdom of Apostle St. Thomas in 72AD. For nearly 2000 years, the followers of Lord Jesus have lived in love, peace & harmony in India and played an active role in the transformation of modern-day India through education, health care, social development, women empowerment, etc. It is truly a beautiful thing to see Indian Christians of all denominations and backgrounds uniting together to celebrate the truth of the history & heritage of the Christian faith in India.”
According to Mr. Koshy George, President of the Federation of the Indian American Christian Organizations in North America (FIACONA), who is spearheading the celebrations in New York, “Since the time of St. Thomas, Indian Christians have contributed significantly to the development of the country. We have been an integral part of the nation’s development and provided leadership in the educational and social arena. To say now that we are part of some colonial legacy is a distortion of history and only serves to denigrate the Christian community with an element of malice. The almost 2000-year-old church in India is under assault as churches are destroyed, and Christians are attacked. This celebration will not only bring joy and remembrance to our diaspora community but would also be educational and inspirational to our future generations,” Mr. Koshy added.
Indian Christian Day is expected to bring together all Christian denominations along with their respective senior leadership for an evening of worship, celebration, and prayer for the persecuted church in India as well as for the church’s persecutors.
