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California family clings to faith after Virgin Mary statue survives relentless wildfires that destroyed home
By Taylor Penley
Published January 12, 2025
A California family's unshaken faith emerged in the form of a lone statue of The Virgin Mary — untouched by the relentless flames of southern California's wildfires — her resilience amid the smoldering ruins leading them to sing in praise.
"It was remarkable how everything had gotten fried, but the statue of The Virgin Mary and another statue of Saint Joseph were in perfect condition," Peter Halpin, the family patriarch, told 'Fox & Friends Weekend' on Sunday.
"Obviously, they were a little singed, but we just took that opportunity to pray," he continued. "Our home is dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus and always has been and all my family members, my extended family, so we said a prayer to the sacred heart of Jesus, and then we sang that special song that our entire family has known for decades to The Blessed Virgin, and it was a remarkable thing."
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A statue of The Virgin Mary remained standing amid ash and rubble after wildfires destroyed a southern California family's home of 37 years. (Jackie Halpin)
According to Halpin, the family "broke the law" by visiting what remained of their home of 37 years last week. When they discovered that the deadly Eaton fire had diminished the rest to rubble, they leaned on faith, singing in praise alongside their six children and other loved ones in a since-viral video posted to Instagram.
"Our intention was not for this thing to go viral at all," he continued. "It was pretty much just a family thing, but the response from the community has been unbelievable and so heartfelt."
Peter's wife Jackie said she fell to her knees in emotion after her son-in-law snuck up to the site of the home the day before, snapping a photo that revealed the statue was still standing.
She knew then they had to make their own pilgrimage to the site to thank God for the years they spent there.
Peter and Jackie Halpin (Fox & Friends Weekend)
"That was my intention," she said. "We're going to pray. We're going to thank God that we're safe, and we have entertained a lot for years. We feel very strongly in the virtue of hospitality, so I just wanted to pray and say, ‘If we can do it again, that would be great.’
"The song [in the video] kind of came about on its own, so I just wanted to pray. I just want to be grateful as much as I can for what we've had."
Wildfires continue to tear through southern California with no end in sight, devastating communities and claiming 16 lives so far.
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