The California family’s unshakable faith came in the form of a single image of the Virgin Mary – untouched by the endless flames of southern California’s wildfires – her steadfastness amid the smoldering ruins leading them to sing praises.
“It was amazing how everything was fried, but the statue of the Virgin Mary and another statue of Saint Joseph were in good shape,” Peter Halpin, the patriarch of the family, told ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ on Sunday.
“Obviously they were being sung a little, but we just took that opportunity and prayed,” he continued. “Our home is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and it has always been like that along with all the members of my family, my extended family, so we prayed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and we sang that special song that our whole family knows. for decades to the Blessed Virgin, and it was amazing.”
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A statue of the Virgin Mary sits amid ash and debris after a wildfire destroyed a family’s 37-year-old southern California home. (Jackie Halpin)
According to Halpin, the family “broke the law” by visiting their home of 37 years last week. When they learned that the deadly Eaton fire had destroyed everything else, they leaned on faith, singing praises along with their six children and other loved ones in a viral video posted on Instagram.
“Our intention was not for this thing to pass away,” he continued. “It was just a family thing, but the response from the community was incredible and heartfelt.”
Peter’s wife Jackie said she fell to her knees in grief after her son-in-law sneaked onto the site of the house the day before, taking a photo that revealed the statue was still standing.
He realized that they had to take their own trip to this place to thank God for the years they spent there.
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Peter and Jackie Halpin (Fox & Friends Weekend)
“That was my intention,” he said. “We’re going to pray. We’re going to thank God that we’re safe, and we’ve been very happy for years. We feel very strongly about the beauty of hospitality, so I just wanted to pray and say, ‘If we could do it again, that would be great.’
“The song [in the video] it kind of came by itself, so I just wanted to pray. I just want to be as grateful as possible for what we have.”
Wildfires continue to rip through southern California unabated, devastating communities and killing 16 people so far.
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