A “First Treasury Book” Placard of a Mexican Colonial Congregation. Founded by Royal order in 1793, the archbishop of Mexico Juan de Cienfuegos, disposed the establishment of the Congregation of the “Alumbrado y vela Continua…” and named notable people for its administration: As Major Vice-Brother Mariscal de Cartilla y Marques de Ciria, Tomas Domingo de Acha as chaplain, Juan Bautista de Fagoaga as secretary and Miguel Gonzalez Calderon as treasurer. (María Cristina Torales Pacheco. Ilustrados en la Nueva España: los socios de la Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País. México: Universidad Iberoamericana, 01/01/2001) 

Mexican Colonial Congregations offered assistance to the sick and the dead, and secured the funding of economic activities, because the congregations, in addition to many spiritual and charitable services, were lenders. They were also cited as major donors of churches, convents and schools.