He left the country in 1956 and went to Canada, where he worked as a strawberry picker, a railroad worker, and then a lumberjack. He entered the Order in the United States on July 11, 1965, together with his brother in the Order, Lajos László Kovács, OSB. He earned a university degree in philosophy and biology from St. John’s Benedictine University, which is operated by the St. John’s Benedictine Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. He completed his theological studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. He took his perpetual vows on July 10, 1969. He was ordained a priest in Portola Valley, CA, on May 18, 1972. Since then, he has been a member of the Portola Valley-Woodside parish. In 2007, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference awarded him the Pro Cultura Christiana prize in recognition of his selfless work on behalf of Hungarian Catholics. In 2009, the Hungarian government honored him with the Golden Cross award for his activities.