Leaving his post in Montreal at the age of 63, Cardinal Léger never considered that he was retiring. In the twenty-four years he still had to live, he dedicated them to serving the Church with ardour. His motto inspired him: Ipsa duce non fatigaris (With [Mary] leading, we shall not tire). Let us summarize these years.

He served in Yaoundé for seven years. He lived in a modest trailer and knew the long and dark nights of the country – moments of solitude too. He presided at liturgical celebrations, visited the villages, and spoke often with the children. He built a modern hospital for lepers...

At the age of 70, he returned to Montreal at the offer to do parish ministry, but noted the limits of his age. Instead, he would pursue a missionary aim.

He dedicated himself to the humanitarian work by founding “Fame pereo”, which he would integrate into a larger enterprise: “Le Cardinal Léger et ses œuvres”. This latter’s objectives were varied; aid to African countries, aid to the local elderly, etc. A well-structured team of collaborators worked to collect funds and distribute the donations received. It was a pleasure to meet them every morning; to chat in a relaxed way with one or the other. He also spent time answering letters.

Age and illness were constraints that kept him in the residence of the Old Seminary where he lived with his Sulpician brothers.

Hospitalized at the Hôtel-Dieu, he died there on November 13, 1991 at the age of 87. For two full days, he rested in an ardente chapel at Notre-Dame Basilica, where thousands of Montrealers came to pay tribute to him with a glance and a prayer. It was also the site of a moving funeral on November 16th. His coffin was then transported to the cathedral and placed in the funeral chapel of the bishops.