the establishment of the "confraria de nossa senhora da vida" ("brotherhood of our lady of life") by the officials of the city in 1625, allowed the gold-leafing of the retable in the church and the purchase of an image from lisbon. this was followed by the founding of the "confraria dos estudantes" ("brotherhood of students") on 5 july 1625. on 2 january 1629, captain-general rodrigo lobo da silveira, petitioned the general company for the authority to create the "confraria de santo inácio" ("brotherhood of saint ignatius"), and ordered two paintings of the saint for the church. but, in 1630, with the transferring of the captain-general to lisbon, the rector (father luís lopes) dissolved the brotherhood. later, another brotherhood, the "confraria of são francisco xavier" was established in 1632, and joined with the brotherhood of "nossa senhora da anunciada" (becoming the patron saint of the municipality) and supported by an annual 5$000 réis festival. by 1636, the college began operating with its own rector, until this time it was overseen by the bishopric of angra.