Detailed Biography

A.M.D.G.

Dennis Purificacion, Ed.D., S.T.L. (cand.)

Dennis Torres Purificacion, the son of a career U.S. Navy sailor, was born on July 24, 1974, in Manila, Philippines, to Jaime from Santol Sta. Mesa, Manila (now married to Tess from Lingayen, Pangasinan), and Evelyn from Noveleta, Cavite (now married to Hardie from Santa Rita, Guam). At age one, in 1975, his family immigrated to the U.S. and lived on various U.S. Navy bases (NS San Diego, NAS Lemoore, NAS Alameda,) in California. He was happily naturalized a U.S. citizen in 1987. That same year in 1987, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Milpitas, he began altar serving at Sunday Mass. Following the death of his grandfather in 1988, a deeper conversion to practice his Catholic Faith occurred. He was eventually active with the Jr. Legion of Mary and as a catechist in high school where he taught 4th, 5th and 7th grade CCD. Dennis began attending daily Mass in 10th grade and was an altar server at daily Mass for 10 years, especially at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Shrine in Santa Clara, and served alongside hundreds of honorable priests. It was in the Jr. Legion of Mary – at age 16 – where he was first attracted to the life of a permanent deacon, along with regular exposure to the first deacon in his life Deacon Eugene O’Sullivan (wife: Lois) and second deacon now-Fr. Anthony Hernandez. Dennis credits Our Lady and the Legion of Mary with his vocation to Holy Matrimony and the Permanent Diaconate. A long-time Adjutorian Member of the Legion, he supported new branches in five Northern California dioceses. His two younger sisters are Michelle and Rachel. 

Dennis was a Navy cadet for four years at Milpitas High School NJROTC and graduated as a Cadet LTJG in 1992. Proud to be part of the JP2 Generation, he saw and was inspired by St. John Paul the Great at World Youth Day 1993 in Denver. Dennis graduated with a B.A. magna cum laude in Theology with a Philosophy Minor and a St. Ignatius Institute Liberal Arts Certificate from the University of San Francisco in 1995, hoping to teach the Faith one day. His major paper was on “agape” in Jn. 21. He freelanced for “YOU!” Catholic youth magazine explaining the Catechism to youth in articles called “Hell’s Captured Files” from 1993-1998.

After a stint at the JP2 Institute for Marriage & Family Studies, Dennis completed an M.A. Theology degree at The Catholic University of America by writing a thesis on the moral theology of the beatitudes in Mt. 5. He taught 8th grade Religion at Chaminade College Prep from 1997-1998 and was here first nicknamed “Mr. P.” In 1998, he moved to Vallejo. From 1998-2002, Dennis taught 9th & 10th grade Religion at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School where he was selected every year by his students for “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” (2% of U.S. teachers nominated) and was Bruin Teacher of the Month in April 1999. Dennis served as an instructor with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC), too. It was during this time as a high school Religion teacher that he first met Tove Ann who was then the Confirmation Coordinator at St. Catherine’s. Tove Ann is the daughter of Ernesto and Helen Catubig. Ernesto, a purple heart U.S. Army veteran, is from San Carlos, Pangasinan, and Helen is from Luisiana, Laguna. Later, Tove Ann and Dennis were appointed delegates for the Third Sacramento Diocesan Synod and drafters of the final synod document. While completing his doctorate from USF’s Institute for Catholic Educational Leadership with a dissertation on church-state relations, Dennis encouraged Tove Ann to pursue her Ph.D. from the University of Hawai’i. Since entering administration, Dennis has co-founded and/or sustained five Catholic post-secondary institutions, taught over 1,000 students, drafted a 36-unit graduate catechetics degree, and kept Oakland’s diocesan ministry school from closing. He assists the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism as a reviewer-consultant and serves as the Santa Rosa Diocesan Director of Religious Education. Dennis’s research interests include moral theology/catechesis, military ethics, Catholic social doctrine, Islam-Catholic affairs, UN-Vatican relations, papal writings, and church document implementation.

Dennis proposed to Tove Ann at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto at Our Lady’s Chapel, St. Michael’s Cathedral, and they later married on July 12, 2003, at St. Catherine’s where they first met. Since then, they have homeschooled John Paul (age 8 and enrolled in Kolbe Academy), Emmanuel Jeremiah (age 5), Mariana Mahal (age 3) and Faith Marie (1 month) whom Dennis will baptize. Tove Ann serves as President of the Maris Stella Institute (www.marisstellainstitute.org). The first family pet fish were named “Admiral Ackbar” and “Nemo”. Dennis enjoys the waterfront with family, sci-fi, martial arts, sushi and comic books.