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In 1946, the Franciscans were invited by Archbishop George Cabana of St. Boniface to take over the Lac du Bonnet parish and the missions attached to it. The missions included Bisset, and Red Lake, which could be reached by plane. Besides these, there was Great Falls, Seven Sisters, Milner Ridge, Maple School district and Pointe du Bois. Fr. Sylvestre Beaudet and Fr. Stan Frytek were appointed to take over the work. Fr. Engelbert Paradis after his release as an army chaplain was sent to Lac du Bonnet. He used his army pay to buy a new residence on the lake shore that would serve as the Friary.

Fr. Alberic Frechette was appointed pastor after Fr. Englebert Paradis departed to become the pastor of St. Francis Parish in Edmonton. After Fr. Frechette was offered the Parish at Maillardville, today part of Coquitlam, Fr. Ulric Ell was appointed pastor in 1953-1961. Fr. McRae arrived in 1954 to help with the missions.

In 1955, construction began for the new church building. Fr. Ulric Ell also designed and built the chapel in Whiteshell in 1968. Fr. George Hart was appointed Pastor after Fr. Ulric Ell; the assistant pastor was Fr. Bonaventure (Dureau) until he went to Peru and was replaced by Fr. Fred Doll.

In 1963, the Franciscans left Lac du Bonnet and were replaced by the diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface.

St. Francis of Assisi parish began when Bishop Kidd purchased the former Jewish Community Centre at 6 Ave S.E. in 1931. The building was renovated to serve as a chapel primarily to serve Hungarian immigrants with the first pastor being Rev. Joseph Racz from Montreal. It also served as a chapel of ease for St. Mary's cathedral. Due to a lack of Hungarian-speaking priests, the church was closed. It was reopened in Dec 1934 by Bishop Monahan and St. Francis of Assisi parish was created. The first pastor of the new parish was Rev. Patrick Beaton. In 1957, the original building was replaced by a church designed and built by J. Stevenson & Associates. It was opened on 28 Aug 1957.

In 1959, the parish was entrusted to the Franciscans. The first Franciscan pastor was Fr. Dunstan McLellan and the assistant priest was Fr. Michael Sieferling. The Franciscans were involved in Diocesan Social Action in the downtown area, giving spiritual and other assistance to people in the inner city area. In 1988, Bishop Paul O'Byrne entrusted the parish to the Dominicans.