Forty-seven years ago when Msgr. Agnello Angelini came to New Columbus, he started what has become a unique tradition at the Carbon County Prison in Jim Thorpe.

Tomorrow, for the 47th time since 1932 – a perfect record – the 80-year-old dynamic prelate will make his annual Christmas visit “bearing gifts” to the county lockup.

The “oldest on-the-job priest” in the Catholic Diocese of Allentown, Msgr. Angelini will be chauffeured to the prison by Gene DeSantis of Bowmanstown. Members of the DeSantis family are his longtime friends. Gene’s mom and dad “grew up together” with the priest after he arrived from Italy as a youngster in 1905.