It is worth first emphasising that Msgr. Bourget's pastoral activity during his long episcopate of thirty-six years took place in a social, cultural, and political context that was constantly in turmoil.

Let us simply consider the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1837-1838, the growing poverty of Montreal and Quebec, the strong demographic growth of the city, the hardships and catastrophes of the era: the typhus epidemic, the cholera epidemic, the great fire in downtown Montreal; the relaxation of morals, the scourge of alcoholism, the political debates surrounding two constitutional reforms in the country: The Act of Union (1840) and Confederation (1867). With these facts in mind, one cannot but admire the human and Christian commitment of a pastor always on the front lines.