A night of worship at the Girona evangelical church where Dani Alves preached.

GironaThis week, images of former Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves, implicated in an alleged rape case, went viral. He portrayed himself as an impassioned preacher at an evangelical church in Girona. It's the Elim church, part of the Pentecostal movement, quite popular with the region's Protestant community. It's located in an industrial warehouse on the western outskirts of the city. Every week—for several days—religious services are held, drawing more than 100 parishioners of around 20 nationalities, mostly from Latin America, who follow the service with genuine devotion.

Seeing him up close for the first time is shocking. In the images of Alves circulating online, he was seen speaking about God with great passion, almost induced by a kind of spiritual force. And this is the general tone of the more than two hours that the services last. As usual, Tuesday's glory began with nearly an hour of epic musical performances, with singers, violins, guitars, keyboards, wind instruments, and a sound system at full blast.

A group of girls appeared, performing choreographies with colorful fabrics, while the audience, constantly swaying, followed the rhythm of the songs and sang the lyrics at the top of their lungs, which were projected on the screen as if it were karaoke, while the pastor, microphone. The attendees prayed with their eyes closed and their hands raised. Some cried. performance which has nothing to do with Christian masses and which are broadcast live on YouTube and spread on the networks with hashtags as #makejesusviral.

One of the pastors of the worship center, Sammy Thomas, explains to the ARA the reasons for Dani Alves' visit"We invited him to a youth conference on Saturday with other guests from the United States. He came to bear his testimony; he loves God and wants to preach his love." He added: "The congregation welcomed him very well. God died for sinners, and Alves has been converted to the Gospel, and this has transformed him."

The ceremony continues with more speeches, now without music but equally rousing, from the church's senior pastor, Jimmy Martin, a native of Latin America. Later, guest pastor Charles Milander speaks, broadcasting his personal interventions on the Bible with the support of an on-screen presentation, as if he were giving a talk at a corporate convention. Both preachers speak about Christian figures such as Elijah, Abraham, and David, linked to current issues such as the world of work and technology, constantly addressing the audience. The time comes for offerings, which can be made in cash, via Bizum, or by bank account number.

An industrial warehouse

The location of the Elim Church is also unique. It sits on the border between the municipality of Sant Gregori and the Girona neighborhood of Domeny, next to the highway, in the Nestlé factory estate, which perfumes the area with the scent of coffee day and night. At the entrance, worshippers mingle with joggers and cyclists heading out to exercise along the Ter River toward the Llémena Valley. Opposite is a green esplanade where, on weekends, many parishioners spend the afternoon playing children's games, hosting birthday parties, or playing volleyball. Also nearby is a popular Catalan restaurant, several paddle tennis courts, an Olympic shooting gallery, and even a strip club.

The parishioners, however, are not local residents, neither from Sant Gregori, a small town of high-income single-family homes, nor from Domeny, a neighborhood with many newly built apartments. Most come from further afield, in their own cars or via a van service that takes them from all over the region, especially from Salt and Santa Eugenia.