St Thomas & Mary

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I’ve been mining the Catholic Answers archives and was listening to a show about Eastern Catholicism and the priest mentioned a legend or tradition that St Thomas the Apostle either witnessed the Blessed Mother’s assumption into Heaven or was the one to find her crypt filled with roses.
Unfortunately, I can’t find the show again – does anybody know where this tradition comes from? I thought St. Thomas died in India.

thanx
 
The tradition is that the Apostles all came together when Mary died, but that Thomas was not present. He arrived late (seems to be a habit of his) and asked that the tomb of Mary be opened so that he could look upon her one last time. When they opened it, her body was gone.

You can find this in a several places. The most common is the so-called Book of John Concerning the Falling Asleep of Mary. There’s also the Latin book called The Passing of Mary and it contains the same basic story.

Deacon Ed
 
There is also a pious legend that as St. Thomas was being miraculously transported from India to Jerusalem on the third day after Our Lady’s repose, while still in the air, he saw Our Lady’s body being assumed into heaven. She gave him her girdle as she passed.
 
There is also a pious legend that as St. Thomas was being miraculously transported from India to Jerusalem on the third day after Our Lady’s repose, while still in the air, he saw Our Lady’s body being assumed into heaven. She gave him her girdle as she passed.
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Yes, the Book of the Bee by Solomon of Akhlat, a 13th century bishop of the Church of the East, gives a similar account:

She was not buried on earth, but the angels carried her to Paradise, and angels bore her bier. On the day of her death all the apostles were gathered together, and they prayed over her and were blessed by her. Thomas was in India, and an angel took him up and brought him, and he found the angels carrying her bier through the air; and they brought it nigh to Thomas, and he also prayed and was blessed by her.​

God bless,

Rony
 
I remember reading in a travel guide [Michelin I think] that the girdle is preserved in a church north of Rome. Didn’t get there, no longer have the guide, and don’t remember the details.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I remember reading in a travel guide [Michelin I think] that the girdle is preserved in a church north of Rome. Didn’t get there, no longer have the guide, and don’t remember the details.
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It is also claimed as one of the sacred relics of the Athonite monastery of Vatopedi!
 
Deacon_Ed said:
The tradition is that the Apostles all came together when Mary died, but that Thomas was not present. He arrived late (seems to be a habit of his) and asked that the tomb of Mary be opened so that he could look upon her one last time. When they opened it, her body was gone.
Click to expand...
This is what was described in the visions of the stigmatic Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich. I believe it was published under the title The Life of the Blessed Virgin, or something similar.
 
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