Antal Berényi was born on September 24, 1795. He was a member of the Berényi family of Counts of Karancsberény; his father was Zsigmond Berényi, and his mother was Julianna Pongrácz. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Esztergom, he traveled to the United States in 1825 with the support of Archbishop József Kopácsy and served as a pastor in the United States until 1852. He is considered one of the first documented Hungarian Catholic priests in the United States.

His ministry was primarily connected to the early Diocese of New York, where he participated in the pastoral care of immigrant Catholic communities. He spoke several languages and was able to conduct services in Hungarian, German, Latin, and English. During his years in America, he also struggled with health issues.

He returned to Europe in 1852. He died in Nagyszombat on October 1, 1859.