Responding to a long-standing invitation from Rt. Rev. Henry D’Souza, the former Archbishop of Kolkata, the Capuchins of St Fidelis Vice Province, North India, began their mission in the Archdiocese of Kolkata in 1995. The initiative was taken by the late Br. Ronald Menezes, who played a key role in establishing this new presence.​

     When the Archbishop offered a plot of land with a century-old chapel (bamboo thatched wall and ceiling roof) at Kristopur to the Capuchins, the late Br. Conrad D’Souza, OFM Cap. was appointed the first Capuchin parish priest of Kristopur. Later, with the generous support of local benefactors, a beautiful church, a multipurpose hall with additional rooms, and a friary were subsequently constructed on this property.​

     In April 2005, an English-medium school was started and named St. Francis Academy. The school has since been upgraded to Class X, and students from the surrounding areas are benefiting from the quality education imparted there.​

     The friars residing in Assisi Nivas are engaged in two specific ministries: pastoral and educational. Their community life, along with their dedicated service, bears witness to the Capuchin charism in a tangible way.​

     The property at Kristopur is used by the Capuchins in accordance with an ecclesial agreement with the Archdiocese of Kolkata. The friars not only care for the spiritual needs of the Catholic faithful in the parish attached to the friary but also make themselves available for the spiritual needs of neighboring religious communities.​