The list of religious communities that was just enumerated and the various objectives they pursued reflect Msgr. Bourget's social concerns.

His social commitment stemmed from his deep knowledge of the social environment and the state of society itself. He wanted institutions dedicated to the prevention of social ills; to the reintegration of the marginalized. That is why, at the heart of his European travels, he visited schools for the mentally ill, homes for the deaf and the mute, the blind, beggars, penitentiaries, hospitals, maternity hospitals, and shelters for children.

As early as 1842, Msgr. Bourget published a mandate establishing the Diocesan Association of Charity that was inspired by the diverse experience of charitable groups, such as those of the Ladies of Charity, of the Ladies of Providence, etc., and the experience of the Diocesan Association of Charity. He rallied and persuaded the people necessary for the implantation of new initiatives. We note, for example, the generous contributions of a patron, Mr. Olivier Berthelet, to the Hospice Saint-Antoine (Mont St-Antoine) and to the Sisters of Mercy. It was the commitment of the laity that he had in mind when, in 1847, he established the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Montreal, whose first council he convened at the bishopric.