Out of 333 Catholic churches located in central and southern California, damage related to Dec. 22's 6.5 earthquake centered in San Luis Obispo County has been reported in only two parishes: St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria and red-tagged Mission San Miguel in historic San Miguel.

Structural engineers are scheduled next week to thoroughly investigate two cracks on the north wall where the choir roof and bell tower meet at St. Mary of the Assumption Church. Built in 1958, the church has already been examined by city inspectors and deemed safe for occupancy, said parish administrator Rosalie Marquez. The church is open for regularly scheduled services.

Mission San Miguel's church, front courtyard and cemetery, however, are currently closed due to exterior and interior damage sustained in the quake. According to Kevin Drabinski, director of communications for the Diocese of Monterey, a series of top-to-bottom cracks on the 40-foot-tall front façade of the church and interior plaster damage has necessitated closure for repairs.

On Dec. 28, the County of San Luis Obispo red-tagged the church property, declaring the property unfit for occupancy. A team of professional engineers and architects are evaluating the damage and they are expected to make their preliminary report in a few weeks.

"It is our hope that the San Miguel Mission will be re-opened," said Drabinski. "However, out of an abundance of caution we will await the report of our professionals before making any decision." While the church remains closed, Masses are currently held at Casa San Miguel community center down the street from the mission church, which was built between 1816 and 1818.

The mission's church is famous for its altar, fresco secco paintings and wall decorations created and painted by Indian artisans and the Monterey artist Esteban Munras. The interior decorations are original and the best preserved of any mission in the California mission chain according to mission experts.

Because of the mission's original interior, it has long been considered a "poster child for mission restoration needs," said Drabinski. He said that specialists will be brought in to repair the fallen plaster. Current plans call for workmen to do some short-term shoring of the sacristy and arcade in the next few weeks. Updates on the repair work will be posted on the mission's web site: www.missionsanmiguel.org

Staff at churches contacted by The Tidings on the day of the 11:16 a.m. quake reported a sense of relief that the rolling movement of the tumbler did surprising little damage.

"We were lucky," said Father Abel Suquilvide, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Guadalupe. Though two candelabras behind the altar fell and a statue of St. Anthony shifted on its pedestal, nearly falling, the church was spared permanent damage.