St. Thomas Church at Palayur in Thrissur district, Kerala, is regarded as the oldest church in India and holds immense historical and religious significance. According to tradition, in 52 A.D., St. Thomas Didymus, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, arrived at the ancient port of Muziris (modern-day Cranganore) in Kerala. He began preaching Christianity and is believed to have made his first converts among the local Jewish and Hindu communities at Palayur, where he established a small church and consecrated its altar.

The church built by St. Thomas still stands at the same sacred site. Though the original wooden structure deteriorated over time, in the 17th century, Reverend Fenichi constructed a new outer building to preserve and protect the site. Remarkably, the original altar consecrated by St. Thomas has been preserved and continues to be a place of worship. The St. Thomas Church at Palayur remains a powerful testament to the early arrival of Christianity in India and the enduring legacy of apostolic faith on Indian soil.