The man stood in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in a hazmat suit, gloves, respirator and goggles. Two soldiers wearing face masks bowed their heads solemnly. Over a dozen more in full-body gear paused from disinfecting the popular tourist site overlooking Rio de Janeiro's skyline and beaches.
About the only clues that the man was a Roman Catholic priest leading the soldiers in prayer were his arms-wide gesture, mirroring that of the iconic hilltop statue, and the pale yellow liturgical stole draped over his head-to-toe personal protective equipment.
This is what faith looks like in the summer of covid-19 -- or winter, of course, in Rio and other Southern Hemisphere locales. In images published in August from Associated Press photographers around the world, religious services, sacred ceremonies and holiday observances took place with people trying to keep themselves and each other safe amid an unabating pandemic.
People assiduously wore masks as they visited an Istanbul church recently turned into a mosque; while attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a Hindu temple in Jammu, India; as they floated paper lanterns along the Motoyasu River in Japan on the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; crawling in pilgrimage outside a Greek Orthodox island church for the Feast of the Assumption; at a procession marking 'Gai Jatra,' or cow festival, in Nepal.
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In London, Rabbi David Mason led a Sunday communal prayer service in his synagogue's outdoor parking lot with just a few pairs of distanced folding chairs set out for congregants -- most were watching from home via live video stream just as they did for months previously under a strict lockdown.
Social distancing was also the norm on the beaches of Tel Aviv as Israeli Arab families enjoyed a day outdoors while observing Islam's Eid al-Adha, a holiday commemorating the prophet Ibrahim's obedience to God for being willing to sacrifice his son.
In Beirut, people are reeling from a double blow of not just the pandemic but the Aug. 4 port explosion that shattered windows, businesses and lives. On a recent evening, Mohammed Moussa knelt on a bed frame and pressed his forehead toward the ground in prayer, surrounded by salvaged belongings and the debris of his ruined home. It's an image emblematic of his city's struggles and how some rely on faith in trying times.
These and more are among the AP's top faith-related images published in August.
![A Shiite Muslim boy beat his chest with others during a Muharram procession, in Lahore, Pakistan, Aug. 28, 2020. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of mourning in remembrance of the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq in the 7th century. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)]()
A Shiite Muslim boy beat his chest with others during a Muharram procession, in Lahore, Pakistan, Aug. 28, 2020. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of mourning in remembrance of the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq in the 7th century. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
![A Nepalese girl stands for a photograph in front of an idol of Swet Bhairav statue while participating in a procession to mark 'Gai Jatra', or cow festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Aug. 4, 2020. The festival is celebrated by the Newar community in memory of deceased family members who died the preceding year, believing that the cow will guide them in their journey to heaven. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)]()
A Nepalese girl stands for a photograph in front of an idol of Swet Bhairav statue while participating in a procession to mark 'Gai Jatra', or cow festival, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Aug. 4, 2020. The festival is celebrated by the Newar community in memory of deceased family members who died the preceding year, believing that the cow will guide them in their journey to heaven. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
![Women wearing protective face masks to help prevent spread of the coronavirus mourn during an annual ceremony commemorating Ashoura at the Saleh shrine in northern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Ashoura is the anniversary of the 7th century death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints, who was killed in a battle in Karbala in present-day Iraq. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)]()
Women wearing protective face masks to help prevent spread of the coronavirus mourn during an annual ceremony commemorating Ashoura at the Saleh shrine in northern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Ashoura is the anniversary of the 7th century death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints, who was killed in a battle in Karbala in present-day Iraq. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
![Ultra-Orthodox Jews, followers of the Hasidic sect of Shomrei Emunim, wearing protective face masks amid concerns over the country's coronavirus outbreak, gather for the funeral of their Rabbi Refael Aharon Roth, 72, who died from the coronavirus, in Bnei Brak, Israel, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)]()
Ultra-Orthodox Jews, followers of the Hasidic sect of Shomrei Emunim, wearing protective face masks amid concerns over the country's coronavirus outbreak, gather for the funeral of their Rabbi Refael Aharon Roth, 72, who died from the coronavirus, in Bnei Brak, Israel, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
![People, who are poor and homeless, wait outside the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Saint Teresa, to get food on her birth anniversary in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, was a Catholic nun who spent 45-years serving the poor, the sick, the orphaned, and the dying. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)]()
People, who are poor and homeless, wait outside the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Saint Teresa, to get food on her birth anniversary in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, was a Catholic nun who spent 45-years serving the poor, the sick, the orphaned, and the dying. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
![Rabbi David Mason leads the first Sunday communal prayer service which was streamed to his congregation from the Muswell Hill Synagogue parking lot in London, July 5, 2020. The prayer took place outdoors with social distancing to comply with government health guidelines. Mason said he took joy from knowing tech-savvy volunteers were spending hours on the phone patiently helping older community members get online for services. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)]()
Rabbi David Mason leads the first Sunday communal prayer service which was streamed to his congregation from the Muswell Hill Synagogue parking lot in London, July 5, 2020. The prayer took place outdoors with social distancing to comply with government health guidelines. Mason said he took joy from knowing tech-savvy volunteers were spending hours on the phone patiently helping older community members get online for services. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
![People pray as paper lanterns float along the Motoyasu River in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, Aug. 6, 2020, in Hiroshima, western Japan. Japan marked the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The official lantern event was canceled to the public due to coronavirus but a small group of local representatives released some lanterns. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)]()
People pray as paper lanterns float along the Motoyasu River in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, Aug. 6, 2020, in Hiroshima, western Japan. Japan marked the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The official lantern event was canceled to the public due to coronavirus but a small group of local representatives released some lanterns. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
![Catholic Priest Omar, center, leads a prayer as soldiers pause from disinfecting the Christ the Redeemer area, currently closed during the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)]()
Catholic Priest Omar, center, leads a prayer as soldiers pause from disinfecting the Christ the Redeemer area, currently closed during the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
![Israeli Arabs, some wearing protective face mask amid concerns over the country's coronavirus outbreak, enjoy the day on the beach during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 2, 2020. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, is observed by sacrificing animals to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim's faith in being willing to sacrifice his son. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)]()
Israeli Arabs, some wearing protective face mask amid concerns over the country's coronavirus outbreak, enjoy the day on the beach during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 2, 2020. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, is observed by sacrificing animals to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim's faith in being willing to sacrifice his son. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
![Catholic Priest Luis Carlos Ayala wearing a mask amid the new coronavirus pandemic, hands Communion to a parishioner during a Mass at a drive-in in Chia, Colombia, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. For the last three weeks, Father Ayala has been celebrating Mass in the parking lot of the city's former horse racing track, now a venue that has been mostly used for concerts, movies, theater, and other outdoor presentations. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)]()
Catholic Priest Luis Carlos Ayala wearing a mask amid the new coronavirus pandemic, hands Communion to a parishioner during a Mass at a drive-in in Chia, Colombia, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. For the last three weeks, Father Ayala has been celebrating Mass in the parking lot of the city's former horse racing track, now a venue that has been mostly used for concerts, movies, theater, and other outdoor presentations. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
![Mohammed Moussa prays on a makeshift bed outside his home, destroyed in the Aug. 4 explosion, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)]()
Mohammed Moussa prays on a makeshift bed outside his home, destroyed in the Aug. 4 explosion, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
![Orthodox nuns wearing masks as a measure of prevention against the spread of the coronavirus walk in a procession to bring the icon of the Virgin Mary from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to the tomb where she is believed to be buried, outside of the Lions' Gate to Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)]()
Orthodox nuns wearing masks as a measure of prevention against the spread of the coronavirus walk in a procession to bring the icon of the Virgin Mary from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to the tomb where she is believed to be buried, outside of the Lions' Gate to Jerusalem's Old City, early Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
![A Kashmiri prays inside Jamia Masjid, or Grand Mosque, in Srinagar, Indian Controlled Kashmir, Aug. 21, 2020. After the gap of almost 5 months Friday prayers were organized inside the Grand Mosque as shrines and other religious places across the Jammu and Kashmir reopened for devotees on Sunday after remaining closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)]()
A Kashmiri prays inside Jamia Masjid, or Grand Mosque, in Srinagar, Indian Controlled Kashmir, Aug. 21, 2020. After the gap of almost 5 months Friday prayers were organized inside the Grand Mosque as shrines and other religious places across the Jammu and Kashmir reopened for devotees on Sunday after remaining closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
![Nuns wave to Pope Francis as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)]()
Nuns wave to Pope Francis as he recites the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
![An activist of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal participates in a ceremony to mark the groundbreaking ceremony of a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Ram in Ayodhya, and the first anniversary of India's decision to revoke article 370, in Jammu, India, Aug 5, 2020. Despite the coronavirus restricting a large crowd, Hindus rejoiced as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke ground Wednesday on a long-awaited temple of their most revered god Ram at the site of a demolished 16th century mosque. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)]()
An activist of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal participates in a ceremony to mark the groundbreaking ceremony of a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Ram in Ayodhya, and the first anniversary of India's decision to revoke article 370, in Jammu, India, Aug 5, 2020. Despite the coronavirus restricting a large crowd, Hindus rejoiced as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke ground Wednesday on a long-awaited temple of their most revered god Ram at the site of a demolished 16th century mosque. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
![Liza Durasenko, 16, from Oregon City, Ore., prays during a rally in support of President Donald Trump, Aug. 29, 2020, in Clackamas, Ore. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)]()
Liza Durasenko, 16, from Oregon City, Ore., prays during a rally in support of President Donald Trump, Aug. 29, 2020, in Clackamas, Ore. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)
![A Kashmiri Shiite Muslim shouts slogans after being detained by police as they attempt to take out a religious procession in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Aug. 28, 2020. Police and paramilitary soldiers detained dozens of Muslims participating in religious processions in the Indian portion of Kashmir. Authorities had imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar, the region's main city, to prevent gatherings marking Muharram from developing into anti-India protests. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)]()
A Kashmiri Shiite Muslim shouts slogans after being detained by police as they attempt to take out a religious procession in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Aug. 28, 2020. Police and paramilitary soldiers detained dozens of Muslims participating in religious processions in the Indian portion of Kashmir. Authorities had imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar, the region's main city, to prevent gatherings marking Muharram from developing into anti-India protests. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
![People visit St. Savior in Chora church, known as Kariye in Turkish, in Istanbul, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Turkey on Friday formally converted former Byzantine church, St Savior in Chora, into a mosque, a month after it similarly turned Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer, drawing international rebuke. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)]()
People visit St. Savior in Chora church, known as Kariye in Turkish, in Istanbul, Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Turkey on Friday formally converted former Byzantine church, St Savior in Chora, into a mosque, a month after it similarly turned Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer, drawing international rebuke. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
