The Congregation of the Onorati was originally documented as the Congregazione del Secolari and was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. The Congregation shared its tenure within the college alongside the contemporary Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception under the auspices of the Order of St John. In fact, the two institutions were allegedly documented as existing ‘side by side’ and were claimed to be in possession of two Oratories in the College that served as their earliest quarters.
Following its establishment next to the church, the Congregation gradually increased its reputation largely due to its wealth. By July 1659 the construction of the remodelled Oratory was practically completed. The insistence with Burlo to abide with the directives of Buonamici proves the importance of the latter in his field. He was in fact the ultimate consultant and specialist in every architectural consideration. This reliance is suggestive perhaps of the fundamental concern of the procurators: achieving the noblest creation, at least in its genre, ever produced in Malta.
