From historic temples to international headquarters: see how religious diversity is expressed in Bauru Paulo Piassi/g1 Known as the 'City without Limits', Bauru (SP) is marked by the meeting of stories, cultures and traditions that helped build the city's identity over the years. This Saturday (1st), the city turns 130 years old, and one of the strongest characteristics of this mix is ??the population's diversity of beliefs. The 2022 Census numbers, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), show this plural portrait. ? Join the g1 Bauru e Marília channel on WhatsApp 43.94% of residents declare themselves Roman Apostolic Catholics and 35.93% are evangelicals. Spiritists represent 3.77% of the population, while 1.48% follow African-based religions, such as Umbanda or Candomblé. Another 6.59% said they had different beliefs, and 8.2% said they had no religion. For professor and master of Theology Luís Fabiano, this diversity is rooted in the formation of Bauru society. In an interview with g1, he explains that the indigenous people who inhabited the region established the first basis of local spiritual diversity, even before the arrival of Catholicism. Over the years, economic development has expanded this scenario. The expansion of the railways transformed Bauru into an important railway junction and attracted migrants from different regions of the country. "This possibility of arrival of people from different locations in the past was constituting that ground of religious diversity", states the theologian. Currently, according to Luís Fabiano, those who took on this role were the universities that helped to strengthen this plural profile. "As it is a university city, you receive a very large and varied audience here, from all over the region, who come with the most diverse religious experiences possible", he says. MORE "Religious diversity will never be an obstacle to the city's development, as long as these religious people understand the role of religion in the social development of the city as a whole. This religious diversity also contributes to development. It is a two-way street", he concludes. To show how this plurality manifests itself in practice, g1 visited different faith spaces that are based in Bauru or play a relevant role in the municipality's religious and social life. Check it out: Map shows religious diversity in Bauru (SP) Raíssa Oliveira/TV TEM 1. Catedral do Espírito Santo - Catholic Church Facade of the Catedral do Divino Espírito Santo, one of the main historical and religious landmarks in Bauru (SP) Paulo Piassi/g1 The history of the Catholic Church in the city goes hand in hand with the foundation of Bauru itself. The municipality was born in 1896, and the Church of Divino Espírito Santo, which today has the title of Cathedral, was established just one year later, on July 21, 1897. The strategic weight of the city in the region is so great that, on February 15, 1964, Pope Paul VI officially created the Diocese of Bauru, which transformed the municipality into a religious administrative headquarters. Interior of the Catedral do Divino Espírito Santo in Bauru (SP) is the administrative headquarters of the Diocese that covers 14 cities in the region Paulo Piassi/g1 Currently, the diocese covers 14 municipalities and is administered by the diocesan bishop. Within Bauru alone, there are 26 parishes and dozens of social projects, such as Casa do Garoto and Comunidade Bom Pastor, in addition to a strong presence in education through colleges and universities. Father Rodrigo Sena, pastor of the University Parish of Bauru (SP), highlights the welcoming of young people in the city Paulo Piassi/g1 In an interview with g1, Father Rodrigo Sena, pastor of the university parish, highlights the role of the church in welcoming people in a city with such an intense flow of young people. "University students come from so far away, they look for the church to feel like a community and, after a while, they already feel like family. Our joy is to learn more and more about the many good things that the church can do in people's lives", explains the priest. 2. First Independent Presbyterian Church of Bauru Temple of the 1st Independent Presbyterian Church of Bauru (SP), which draws attention for its imposing neo-Gothic architecture Paulo Piassi/g1 Located in the city center, the temple of the First Independent Presbyterian Church draws the attention of those passing through the region for its imposing neo-Gothic architecture. Completed in 1949 and inspired by the Evangelical Cathedral of São Paulo, the building is now listed as a historical heritage site in the city. The Presbyterian presence in Bauru, however, began well before the construction of the current building. In 1901, just five years after the founding of the city, the first evangelical group from Bauru began meeting in the hall of a mattress factory. Completed in 1949, the building located in the city center is listed as a historical heritage of the municipality Paulo Piassi/g1 With roots in the Protestant Reformation, the Presbyterian religion adopts a leadership system formed by presbyters, who are members elected by the community itself, and has the Protestant Bible as a rule of faith and practice. Today, the temple in Bauru serves a community with more than a thousand active members. Reverend Davi Therezan explains that the preservation of the space reflects the evangelical history of Bauru (SP) Paulo Piassi/g1 For Reverend Davi Therezan, the preservation of the space and its traditions reflects Bauru's own trajectory of development and diversity. "This temple symbolizes a lot about the history and