The objective of the particular society Betances founded was to free children who were slaves, taking advantage of their need to receive the sacrament of Baptism at the town church, "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria", which is now the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Mayagüez. Since buying the freedom of slave children cost 50 "pesos" if the child had been baptized, and 25 "pesos" if the child had not, Betances, Basora, Segundo Ruiz Belvis and other members of the society waited next to the baptismal font on Sundays, expecting a master to take a slave family to baptize their child. Before the child was baptized, Betances or his partners gave money to the parents, which they in turn used to buy the child's freedom from his master. The child, once freed, was baptized minutes after. This action was later described as having the child receive the ""aguas de libertad"" (waters of liberty). Similar events occurred in the city of Ponce.