In 1859 , President James Buchanan returned the Mission to the Church . In 1878 , after 38 years without a resident padre , Father Philip Farrelly became the " First Pastor " of Mission San Miguel Arcángel . Through all the years the priests kept the church in condition and it is called the best-preserved church in the mission chain today . In 1928 , Mission San Miguel Arcángel and Mission San Antonio de Padua were returned to the Franciscan order . Since then , the Mission has been repaired and restored , and has one of the best-preserved interiors ( which gives one of the best examples of old mission life ) . For many years , the Mission served the town as an active parish church of the Diocese of Monterey . Unfortunately , harmonic vibrations from the nearby Union Pacific Railroad main line has weakened the unreinforced masonry structures over the years . The 2003 San Simeon earthquake caused severe damage to the sanctuary at Mission San Miguel . The Catholic Church considered closing the parish due to the extensive damage and the estimated $ 15 million cost of repair . Work has since been completed and the Mission is to reopen on October 2 , 2009
2003 San Simeon earthquake
2003 San Simeon earthquake
San Miguel, San Luis Obispo County, California