Los Angeles Couple Finds Hope as Virgin Mary Statue Miraculously Survives Wildfire
A California couple who lost their house in the Los Angeles wildfires say they've found hope in the survival of two statues on their property: one of the Virgin Mary and one of Joseph. Peter and Jackie Halpin lived in the house for 37 years but fled last week with only a few possessions as the flames from the Eaton Fire encroached on their property. When they returned, their property was reduced to ashes -- everything except the two statues.
A viral video on social media shows the couple standing with their children singing the Regina Caeli, a Catholic hymn.
"When we got up there, we all just stood around, and 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 -- obviously, they were a little singed," Peter Halpin told Fox News.
"And we just took that opportunity to pray."
The Halpin home, he said, was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"We set up 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," he said of the Regina Caeli. "It was a remarkable thing. Our intention was not for this thing to go viral at all. It was pretty much just a family thing, but the response from the community has been unbelievable and so heartfelt."
The day before the family returned to their property, one of their children visited the site and took a photo. That's when the couple learned the statues had survived.
"When I saw that, I fell to my knees, not in prayer, but in emotion," she told Fox News. "And that's when I thought: We have to get up there. We have to thank God for the years that we'd had there."
The Halpins raised their children on the property. They have three boys, three girls, and 14 grandchildren.
WATCH: Statue of Mary Survives California Wildfires in 'Perfect Condition'
Photo Credit: © Instagram/nicole_tittmann / YouTube/Fox News
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published January 13, 2025.
