The diocese that Msgr. Bourget oversaw was a Church without personnel or financial means. Msgr. Bourget dedicated himself to furnishing the necessary resources; the infrastructure he lacked. That was the purpose of those trips to Europe - seven of varying duration - which he undertook in the second year of his episcopate as Bishop of Montreal.
 

• In 1841 (May – December). In search of priests and religious life, Msgr. Bouget went to Paris, Chartres, Lyon, Marseille, Rome, Le Mans, and Angers.

• From 1846 to 1847 (September – May). He went to Marseille, England, and Ireland for the same purpose.

• From 1854 to 1856 (October of ’54 – July of ‘56). The longest trip. He was in Rome for the proclamation by Pope Pius IX of the Immaculate Conception.

• In 1862 (Summer). In Rome.

• From 1864 to 1865 (December to June). In Rome to deal with the division of the parish of Notre-Dame. Rome authorised him to erect as many parishes as necessary in Montreal. He also discussed the proposed project of founding Université de Montréal.

• From 1869 to 1870 (January of ’69 – August of ’70). In Paris and Rome. In Rome, he attended the opening of the First Vatican Council on December 8, 1869. This council concluded on July 18, 1870 with the proclamation of the dogma of the infallibility of the pontificate.

• In 1881 (August – October). In Rome during his retirement, he still wanted to intervene for the cause of Université de Montréal. Propaganda deemed that there would only be one Catholic University in Quebec; Montreal would be a branch of Université de Laval.
   

Among the results of his travels, the happiest is certainly the arrival of several religious communities (male and female) or religious orders that have enriched our diocesan Church and our whole society. Let us simply name them according to the order of their arrival in the country:
 

• The Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1841),

• The Jesuits (1842),

• The Ladies of the Sacred Heart (1844),

• Fathers, Brothers, Sisters of the Holy Cross (1847),

• The Clerics of Saint-Viateur (1847),

• The Brothers of Charity, of Belgium (1864),

• The Carmelites (1875),

• The Missionaries of Africa (1875).
   

At the same time, four women's religious communities arose in the diocese itself; a happy blossoming responding to the needs of the time. They were initiated by four women inspired by the Holy Spirit and were supported and guided by Msgr. Bourget. They worked at the service of the Church and society in the domains of education, health, and social assistance:
 

• The Sisters of Providence, with Émilie Gamelin (1843);

• The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, with Eulalie Durocher (1843);

• The Sisters of Mercy, with Rosalie Cadron-Jetté (1848);

• The Sisters of Ste-Anne, with Esther Blondin (1848);
   

In the service of the diocese for a long time:
 

• The Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph (1636);

• The Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal (1658);

• The Sisters of Charity of Montreal (Grey Nuns) (1737);
   

Under the episcopate of Msgr. Bourget and thanks to his vision and his many forms of action, the Diocese of Montreal has given itself, or rather received, valiant institutions that have been among the many hands placed in the service of the Lord and of the Christian and human community of Montreal and the region. In short, an infrastructure that would enable it to accomplish its mission.

Let us make two observations here. The first: by the time of the turn century in the year 2000, religious communities no longer had the presence and vitality they did in the past, but they have been able to diversify their commitment and continue their service with admirable charity by volunteering and through the extreme generosity with which they fund a host of humanitarian initiatives or organisations that are in keeping with their fundamental objectives. The second is that one day we will have to get rid of this cliché which still describes their past presence as a “monopoly” in the medical, educational, and social fields. The first reason for this is because monopoly is a market term that evokes exclusive domination; yet the work of religious communities has nothing to do with the world of markets, nor with some exclusive domination. It was exercised to cover fields of action that neither civil society nor the public authorities of the time were able to assume. She (the Church) hasn't eliminated anyone. Indeed, rather than an act of substitution, it has generously brought itself to the aid of women, men, and children in need: this is the very meaning of living Christian charity.