By Marie Mulvenna

Ten bright-eyed youngsters received the thrill of a lifetime last week, arriving in Atlanta to see their favorite Braves and their all-time idol Hank Aaron set his record home run 715.

The boys, all altar boys at St. Mary’s Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, called St. John the Evangelist in Hapeville their home for a few days as they spread out sleeping bags in two classrooms at St. John’s school.

Cutting it mighty close, the young fans arrived at Atlanta’s airport at 7:20 the night of the Braves’ spectacular and headed for a bulging stadium to join thousands of fans in a tribute to Aaron.

Accompanying the boys on their Atlanta junket were Father Martin Morgan and Charles Blackburn, father of one of the fans. The young baseball enthusiasts had long planned a trip to see the Braves in action and a scheduled trip last fall fell through. Now, they’re happy about that.

Father Morgan, now with the Tulsa diocese, formerly worked at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta in the summer of 1967 when he was a seminarian. He managed to line up the tickets to the historic game through Father Edward Banks, a Passionist priest from Scranton, Pa who also served in Atlanta at St. Paul of the Cross. While stationed here, Father Banks baptized Hank Aaron’s sister.

Following the game, the young fans camped at St. John’s for the night, then took on the role of tourists for a day in the city. Tuesday night found them back at the stadium for Braves game number two.

A weary, but thrilled, entourage boarded a 6 a.m. flight Wednesday morning for a return trip to Oklahoma. Each of the boys had paid his own way, many doing odd jobs to save for the historic game and their first visit to Atlanta. It was a whirlwind visit but for ten happy boys it was a dream come true.