King pedro's descent from kibangu and his establishment at the camp of Mulumbi might have made life much more difficult for Pedro Kibenga, but it did not affect Dona Beatriz. She was in command of São Salvador, and thanks to Kibenga and his Kimpanzu allies, she was secure in her position. Now Kimpanzu nobles crowded around her. Kibenga's own wife led a number of other highborn ladies in constantly sweeping the path that led to her house by the cathedral.

When she ate, Dona Beatriz was surrounded by followers, noble as well as peasant. Wealthy Kongolese often wore cloaks and mantles across their shoulders and upper bodies, and these were put before the saint as a tablecloth. It was a great honor to receive any food from her hand, and even to eat the crumbs that fell from her mouth. When she drank, her adherents would place their hands under the cup to catch any stray drop that might fall, so that they could be blessed by drinking it. To encourage this sort of devotion, Dona Beatriz occasionally deliberately let water or palm wine fall into these outstretched hands.

Dona Beatriz' position in São Salvado was made stronger every day as more and more people came from the countryside to the ruined city, covering the hillsides and the valleys near the old capital with their houses, filling the air with their songs and praise of the new saint.