Mother Teresa declared saint by Pope Francis at Vatican ceremony

Tens of thousands of pilgrims had flocked to St Peter's Square for the Mass and canonisation

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was today declared saint by Pope Francis at a canonisation ceremony in Vatican City.

Mother Teresa, known as the "saint of the gutters" during her life, was made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, just 19 years after her death.

Millions of Catholics revere her as a model of compassion, and more than 100,000 people were attending the mid-morning ceremony in front of St Peter's Basilica, which was decked out with a canvas of the late nun in her trademark blue-hemmed white robes.

Pilgrims had streamed from all over the world at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican from early morning ahead of a service to honour the Nobel peace laureate, who worked among the world's neediest in the slums of Kolkata.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is leading a 12-member delegation to attend the function.