. ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Mar iano ▁P ayer as , ▁" Com is ario ▁Pref ect o " ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁miss ions , ▁visited ▁C añ ada ▁de ▁Santa ▁Y s abel ▁east ▁of ▁Mission ▁San ▁Diego ▁de ▁Al cal á ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁entire ▁chain ▁of ▁in land ▁miss ions . ▁The ▁Santa ▁Y s abel ▁As ist encia ▁had ▁been ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 8 ▁as ▁a ▁" m other " ▁mission , ▁however , ▁the ▁plan ' s ▁expand ing ▁beyond ▁never ▁came ▁to ▁f ru ition . ▁ ▁Mission ▁sites , ▁selection ▁and ▁layout ▁▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁pres id io ▁( ro yal ▁fort ) ▁and ▁pueblo ▁( town ), ▁the ▁mis ión ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁major ▁ag encies ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁so ver eign ▁to ▁extend ▁its ▁borders ▁and ▁cons olid ate ▁its ▁colonial ▁territ ories . ▁As ist encias ▁(" s at ellite " ▁or ▁" sub " ▁miss ions , ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" contrib uting ▁chap els ") ▁were ▁small - scale ▁miss ions ▁that ▁regularly ▁conducted ▁Mass ▁on ▁days ▁of ▁oblig ation ▁but ▁lack ed ▁a ▁resident ▁priest ; ▁as ▁with ▁the ▁miss ions , ▁these ▁settlement s ▁were ▁typically ▁established ▁in ▁areas ▁with ▁high ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁potential ▁native ▁converts . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁Cal if or ni ans ▁had ▁never ▁st rayed ▁from ▁the ▁coast ▁when ▁establish ing ▁their ▁settlement