When Pope John Paul II visited St. Patrick’s Church in rural Madison County in 1979 there were strict rules put in place. Only current members were allowed to attend.

Leading up to the big day there were countless rehearsals, but one thing was left to chance.

“We drew straws to decide who the altar boys would be,” remembers Bobby Mulvihill. He was nine at the time and drew one of the coveted straws, along with 12-year-old Matt Kiernan. “We all knew that what was happening was a big deal,” he says. “We just didn’t know how big.”