The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God will hold eleven mega-services in ten cities across the country this Friday (3), the Good Friday holiday. Most of the events will take place in football stadiums, such as Maracanã, in Rio, and Arena Neo Química and Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu, both in São Paulo.
The event is called , it will be free and open to the general public. You do not need to be a member of the church to participate.
In the two stadiums, there will be two ceremonies during the day — the first at 10 am, and the last at 5 pm. At Maracanã, the concentration will begin at 9 am.
Among the other stadiums in the country that will receive fans are the Arena do Grêmio, in Porto Alegre, Mangueirão, in Belém, and the Arena BRB Mané Garrincha, in Brasília. There will also be services in Cuiabá, Salvador, Belo Horinzonte, Teresina and Palmas.
See below the time and location of all planned events.
- São Paulo – Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu, at 10am and 5pm
- São Paulo – Neo Química Arena, at 10am and 5pm
- Rio de Janeiro – Maracanã, at 9 am
- Bahia – Arena Fonte Nova, at 10 am
- Distrito Federal – Arena BRB Mané Garrincha, at 10 am
- Mato Grosso – Acrimat Exhibition Park, at 9 am
- Minas Gerais – Arena Independência, at 9:30 am and 5 pm
- Pará – Mangueirão Stadium, at 10 am
- Piauí – Arena Verdão Gymnasium, at 10am and 4pm
- Rio Grande do Sul – Arena do Grêmio, at 3pm
- Tocantins – Gymnasium at Colégio Militar Senador Antônio Luiz Maya, at 10 am
Universal recommended that attendees arrive in advance to avoid queues. There will be no ticket distribution or seat reservations. In other words, access will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
There will be no parking at the locations. The Church recommends the use of public transport to go to the stadiums.
In , Bishop Sérgio Corrêa, who works in Rio Grande do Sul, said that the services are aimed at family unity. “The family is the main cell of society, but it has been bombarded by many problems,” he said.
According to the church, one of the most important moments of the ceremonies will be the distribution of the “consecrated oil” in cross-shaped bottles.
“Anointing with oil is not a custom created by men. On the contrary, it is a practice guided by the Holy Scripture itself, which associates the prayer of faith with the healing of the sick, liberation and the action of the Holy Spirit”, says Universal, in a note published on its website.
In recent weeks, Record . It was announced on journalistic programs, such as Balanço Geral, and on the broadcast of the match between Corinthians and Flamengo, for the Brazilian Championship, on March 22.
