His parents were János Czezárovits and Borbála Szopkó; he had six siblings. At the age of 17, he entered the Salesian Order; he completed his novitiate in Lombriasco in 1905 and pursued his studies in Italy, during which time he served as secretary to the universal catechist János Antal. He was ordained a priest on August 5, 1914. After completing his theological studies, he requested to go on a mission; his superiors sent him to Brazil, where he ran the meteorological station and served as chaplain to the Hungarian community.