. ▁ ▁An ▁on going ▁power ▁struggle ▁between ▁church ▁and ▁state ▁grew ▁increasing ly ▁he ated ▁and ▁last ed ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁Origin ating ▁as ▁a ▁fe ud ▁between ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Ser ra ▁and ▁Pedro ▁F ages ▁( the ▁military ▁governor ▁of ▁Al ta ▁California ▁from ▁ 1 7 7 0 ▁to ▁ 1 7 7 4 , ▁who ▁regarded ▁the ▁Spanish ▁install ations ▁in ▁California ▁as ▁military ▁institutions ▁first ▁and ▁religious ▁out posts ▁second ), ▁the ▁une asy ▁relationship ▁pers isted ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁si xty ▁years . ▁Dep endent ▁upon ▁one ▁another ▁for ▁their ▁very ▁surv ival , ▁military ▁leaders ▁and ▁mission ▁pad res ▁never theless ▁adopted ▁conflic ting ▁st ances ▁regarding ▁everything ▁from ▁land ▁rights , ▁the ▁allocation ▁of ▁supplies , ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions , ▁the ▁criminal ▁prop ens ities ▁of ▁the ▁soldiers , ▁and ▁( in ▁particular ) ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁populations . ▁ ▁Pres ent - day ▁California ▁miss ions ▁ ▁Building ▁rest oration ▁▁ ▁No ▁other ▁group ▁of ▁structures ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁el ic its ▁the ▁inten se ▁interest ▁as ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁Miss ions ▁of ▁California ▁( Cal iforn ia ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁greatest ▁number ▁of ▁well - pres erved ▁miss ions ▁found ▁in ▁any ▁U . S . ▁state ). ▁The ▁miss ions ▁are ▁collect ively ▁the ▁best - known ▁historic ▁element ▁of ▁the ▁coast al ▁regions ▁of ▁California : ▁▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions ▁are ▁still ▁owned ▁and ▁operated ▁by ▁some ▁entity ▁within ▁the ▁Catholic