He completed his theological studies at the Central Seminary in Budapest. On November 10, 1946, he was ordained a priest in Budapest by Prince Primate József Mindszenty. From 1947 to 1950, he studied in Rome, from where he did not return. He arrived in the United States on September 12, 1950. On May 26, 1958, he was inducted into the Phi Alpha Theta historical honor society at Hofstra College (now Hofstra University). He earned a Ph.D. in history from Marquette University; the topic of his dissertation was the relationship between the church and the state in Hungary from 1945 onward, following the communist takeover. According to records, for unknown reasons, his funeral did not take place until a year and a half after his death.