He was ordained a priest in 1892. At the suggestion of his brother, businessman Béla Perényi, the Hungarian congregation in New York chose him as their priest and petitioned the Archbishop of Eger in 1901 to allow him to assume this ministry. Archbishop Corrigan confirmed this request in an official letter. He celebrated his first Mass in New York on December 29, 1901. During his time in both Hungary and the United States, he came into conflict with parishioners on numerous occasions, and rumors regarding financial matters also spread widely. This conflict culminated in a defamation lawsuit in New York in 1905. Despite all this, St. Stephen’s Church in New York was built during his tenure, and at its consecration, the previously feuding parties made peace. He returned to Hungary in 1908. From 1923 onward, he served as deputy dean.