A California family has emerged from tragedy with their faith unshaken. Their hope is symbolized in a statue of the Virgin Mary untouched by the raging wildfires. Peter Halpin, the homeowner, said, “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.”
He added, “Obviously, they were a little singed, but we just took that opportunity to pray.” Halpin went on to say, “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.”
The family patriarch, who lived there for over 35 years, raising six children and many more grandchildren, says that he “broke the law” by visiting what remained of their home of 37 years last week. The deadly Eaton fire had completely demolished their home. He took to Instagram to post a video of his family singing a hymn over the wreckage of their family home.
He stated, “Our intention was not for this thing to go viral at all.” He clarified that “It was pretty much just a family thing, but the response from the community has been unbelievable and so heartfelt.“ In the viral video, the Halpins sang he words of the “Regina Caeli,” a Catholic hymn to the Virgin Mary. Originally the family sang the words in Latin, but the lyrics in English are:
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He, whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Jacki, Peter’s wife, described falling to her knees in emotion after her son-in-law snuck up to the site of the home the day before. He sent her a photo that revealed the statue was still standing. Once she saw the statue was still standing, she realized that the family had to make their pilgrimage to the site to thank God for the years they spent there.
“That was my intention,” she stated. “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 about the virtue of hospitality, so I just wanted to pray and say, ‘If we can do it again, that would be great.’ She concluded by saying “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.“
Watch the video below:
People find solace in singing ‘Regina Caeli,’ O Queen of Heaven, after witnessing the devastation of the fire in California.
Video: Gianna Halpin pic.twitter.com/ENfA4tCceS
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) January 10, 2025
The family has posted a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $60,000. The posting says “Our parents bought that home over 35 years ago, and it was a center of hospitality, joy, support, and familial love for a wide and deep circle of loved ones over those three decades. As with many others, they lost absolutely everything.” The community has come together to help this family.
Image From Fox News Channel Video