He was born in Budapest in 1922. He completed his theological studies for the Archdiocese of Esztergom. During World War II, while still a seminarian, he became involved in rescuing persecuted Jews. He assisted Angelo Rotta in his rescue operations in Budapest, helped hide those being persecuted, and facilitated the issuance of safe-conducts. According to his later recollections, he risked his own life on numerous occasions.

At the end of the war, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. After his return, he was ordained a priest on July 20, 1948.

His first assignment was in Drégelypalánk as an assistant pastor, after which he served as a pastor in the town of Nagymaros. In the early 1950s, he was arrested by the communist authorities and sentenced to prison for his youth ministry activities. He remained in captivity until August 1953.

After the 1956 Revolution, he emigrated to the West. He settled in Rome for a short time, where he married Katalin Körösy on July 6, 1957. He later moved to the United States, where he lived in Buffalo. He left the priesthood but remained a well-known and respected member of the Hungarian émigré community. They had two children.

For his life-saving activities during the Holocaust, the State of Israel awarded him the title of Righteous Among the Nations. His life story is a unique example of the Hungarian experience of the twentieth century, in which religious service, dictatorship, emigration, and a personal new beginning were intertwined.

Szent Jakab mennyei egyszerűsége – Járai Judittal közösen, Kairosz Kiadó, Budapest, 2006