Roman Catholic church services were held in the community of Tracadie Cross from the time of the first Scottish settlement in the area in 1772. Under the direction of Father James MacDonald, the immigrants from Glenaladale initially held their services in an abandoned Acadian chapel in Scotchfort. By the 1830s, settlement in the mission area which comprised portions of Lots 35 and 36 had grown to such a degree that a larger building was needed. The first St. Bonaventure's Roman Catholic Church was erected in ca. 1838-1840 under the direction of Rev. James Brady. A twelve acre farm and enough land for a cemetery were later donated to the church by a devoted parishioner. The first St. Bonaventure's served the community until 1903 when a second church was built twenty-five yards from the original structure. This second church was still in use in 2001.