Heritage Walk inside St. Thomas English Church; Aug.26

St. Thomas English Church (STEC), once known as ‘St. Thomas-by-the-sea’ by the British, is the oldest Protestant church in San Thome. This Saturday, as part of the annual Madras Day celebrations, the community at this church is inviting people to learn more about this church.

The Church owes its origin to the arrival of Robert Carver in 1824, a dynamic Methodist missionary from Ceylon who ministered in the area and earned the goodwill of people and the then Governor of Fort St. George Sir Thomas Munro. STEC was built and consecrated in 1842 at a time when the area had a fairly large number of European residents.

It became the church of the Protestant elite in Madras who lived in the garden-houses of Adyar, and the Governor often worshipped here. When Robert Carver died in 1845, he was buried under the altar. Today, STEC is a thriving Anglican Church under the ‘Church of South India’, with a vibrant congregation.

Date of Visit: Saturday, 26 August

Time: 4.30pm to 5.30pm

E-mail for registering: stthomasenglishchurch@gmail.com.

Open to all.