His father’s name was József Palkó, and his mother’s name was Anna Kutrovics. He entered the order—while still a high school student—in Kőszeg on August 26, 1939. He took his first vows on September 8, 1946, and then graduated from the Benedictine high school in 1948. He completed his theological studies in St. Augustin, Austria; he took his final vows on July 27, 1953, and was ordained a priest on August 28 of the same year. In 1954, he emigrated to Brazil, arriving on September 9, 1954, via Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, he is remembered as Padre João Palko. In Mandirituba, in the state of Paraná, a municipal preschool and daycare center—the CMEI Padre João Palko—still bears his name today. It operates in the Vila Brasília neighborhood and served approximately 110 children in 2023.