 Born in Simerky, Czechoslovakia (present day – Ukraine) in 1926, he was clandestinely ordained a priest on 7 November 1956 by Bishop Alexander Chira for the Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Mukacheve.He never served openly as priest, because the Communist regime abolished the Greek-Catholic Church.On 16 July 1977 was consecrated to the Episcopate as auxiliary bishop.