Traditionally, this church is considered the oldest in Kaunas. It is thought that the church was constructed under an order from Vytautas the Great and presented to the Franciscans arriving in Kaunas. It is the only church in Lithuania which has the Gothic shape of a Latin cross and three naves. The interior was adorned by crystal vaults that survive until nowadays in the presbytery. The Kaunas Franciscan monastery was first mentioned in written sources in 1439. In the 17th century Franciscans established the school which taught liberal arts (trivium). In 1845 the Franciscan church and the monastery were closed down and later in 1850-1853, the church was converted into the Russian Orthodox St. Nicolas church. The church was damaged by floods and was renovated a number of times. In 1870 the monastery building was demolished and a hospital was built on the site.
Vaida Kamuntavičienė