Broadcasting builder opens up about his Catholic faith

Wolfkamp, who was the site foreman “The Wolf” on The Block NZ, spoke about his life and faith on NewstalkZB’s Real Life with John Cowan on February 23.

Wolfkamp once toyed with the idea of being a priest, and while celibacy wasn’t for him, he has great admiration for those who devote their lives to service.

The Catholic faith is very important to him. Catholics are “pretty good at accepting those who don’t do particularly well”, he said, and people on their journeys have their up and down times. He included himself in this.

He loves to visit a church when he is travelling overseas. “It’s my centre,” he said.

Wolfkamp expressed his fondness for the Church’s traditions.

The Church has spent hundreds of years developing ways to help people grasp the mysteries of the faith – hence the stained glass, the vestments, the pageantry and ritual and so on.

“ . . . I love those traditions, and I think understanding where you’re from helps, hopefully, to inform where you’re going in the future.”

He recalled his time as a student at De La Salle College in South Auckland in the 1980s, and the ‘tremendous discussions” in class with the brothers.

He is grateful to the brothers for their patience as he and other young people explored their ideas.

The Real Life discussion also mentioned his time working in Catholic youth ministry with Auckland priest Fr David Tonks. It was during this time that Wolfkamp met his wife Debbie.

Wolfkamp hosts The Resident Builder each Sunday morning on NewstalkZB, a three-hour programme about building and carpentry. While appearing on another radio programme last year, he mentioned that he had attended a recent priestly ordination.

FULL STORY

Real Life: NZ’s Peter Wolfkamp on spurning Catholic priesthood to be builder-broadcaster – NZ Herald (By Matt Burrows/NewstalkZB)