Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo, will be a part of the official Indian delegation to Rome to watch the sainthood ceremony of Mother Teresa on September 4.

"Probably, this is the first time that a bishop will be a part of the official delegation to the Vatican. I think I will be the only bishop in the Indian delegation. I am honoured," Mascarenhas, who also holds the post of secretary-general of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), told The Telegraph.

The CBCI is the highest policy-making body of the Roman Catholic Church in India.

Mother Teresa will be officially declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at a grand ceremony at St Peter's Square in Vatican City. The Indian delegation, led by Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, will leave for the Vatican on September 2.

Cardinal Toppo is already in the Vatican.

Asked who else will be part of the delegation, the CBCI secretary-general said: "The composition of the official delegation is being finalised by the external affairs ministry. I was asked to be a part of the delegation to which I have agreed. I am not aware of the other dignitaries."

According to him, in addition to the official Indian delegation, all the four cardinals from India, along with 41 bishops from across the country, will also go to Rome to attend the canonisation.

"From Jharkhand, Bishop Telesphore Bilung, another auxiliary to Cardinal Toppo, will witness the canonisation. The total number of bishops going to the Vatican might go up further. Cardinal Toppo has already left. The other cardinals from the country who are also slated to go are Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, CBCI president and the major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, and George Alencherry, major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly," he said.

A host of events has been planned for the special day, including a special Mass in eight different languages, prayer vigils, exhibitions, musical soiree, release of a special St Teresa stamp, a weeklong exposition on life, spirit and message of Mother Teresa from September 1, the special canonisation ceremony on September 4 and a thanksgiving Mass for the newly canonised St Teresa on September 6.