The goal of the Forte Catholic Podcast is to inspire, uplift, and share the Good News in a way that will help you take the next step in your faith, no matter where you are on your journey with God.

Taylor Schroll 8/3/22 Taylor Schroll 8/3/22

300th Episode Celebration! w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa, Allison Sullivan, Jon Blevins & Liv Harrison

All of the Forte Catholic hosts unite for a rare episode recorded with all of them involved! This leads to a lot of hilarity, great stories and a fair amount of insanity. They reminisce about favorite moments on the show, play a “Guess Which Cohost” trivia game and take their best shot at our "Life Verse" challenge.

All the cohosts together to reminisce, laugh and annoy one another ;) The Forte Catholic hosts unite for a rare episode recorded with all of them involved! This leads to a lot of hilarity, great stories and a fair amount of insanity. They kick off the episode sharing some favorite memories of the show and how much they've all changed since it launched in 2016.

Next, they play a "get to know the cohosts" game where they each submitted random facts about themselves to Taylor before the show. He presents them to the group and they have to guess which host that statement belonged to. We learned a lot of strange, random and concerning things about our fellow hosts.

Finally, they play a staple game of the show: Life Verse. They each have to pick a random verse from Scripture and apply it to one of the other hosts' lives. It's somehow a perfect combination of earnestness, spiritual depth & stupidity.

We hope you enjoy this episode! :) Thanks for listening today and for all the support you've given us over the last 300 episodes. We love y'all! :)

Subscribe/Rate

Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show and share the Joy of the Gospel by taking a few moments to leave a review in your podcasting app. Thanks!

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

Intro Video created by Nate Bentz

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 7/27/22 Taylor Schroll 7/27/22

Floods, Droughts, Short Jesus & Glad Trads w/Shaun McAfee & Grassroot Catholic | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 299

OG cohost Shaun McAfee returns not only to the show but back to the USA! He & Taylor discuss his return to the land of the free, it's rocky start and also how Taylor is probably taller than Jesus! Keith from Grassroot Catholic joins us to show us how to be a trad without being mad.

OG Cohost Shaun McAfee returns for Episode 299! He has moved back to the USA and shares about that transition and a very difficult thing he and his family had to endure. He talks about how he handled it and how he was able to survive this tough time. Taylor dishes out a rare compliment for how much faith he showed through the trials.

Our guest this week is Keith from Grassroot Catholic. He is a Trad that isn't Mad! He is inviting people into the deep traditions of the Church in a kind, loving and convincing way. Taylor asks how we can all be a bit more traditional and what a reverent Mass looks like. Follow him @grassrootcatholic on Instagram.

Shaun rejoins Taylor for the final segment where Taylor shares a very odd realization he had recently: That he is probably taller than Jesus was on Earth. Is he still taller now? Will that make Taylor meeting Jesus in Heaven awkward? Let us know what you think in the comments and on our social media channels! :)

Subscribe/Rate

Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show and #MakeCatholicismFunAgain by taking a few moments to leave a review in your podcasting app. Thanks!

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 7/20/22 Taylor Schroll 7/20/22

Wild Confession Story, Catechism in a Year & Making a Disciple w/Everett Fritz & Liv Harrison | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 298

Taylor and Liv discuss his big news that he will be helping with the “Catechism in a Year” project with Fr. Mike Schmitz. They also chat about his insane last confession and what the “rules” are while waiting in long confession lines. Everett Fritz rejoins the show to discuss how to make ONE disciple/saint.

Taylor and Liv kick off the episode by sharing his big news that he has been selected as one of the four audio editors for Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz!

Everett Fritz rejoins the show to discuss how to make ONE disciple. He says that one John Paul the Second has a larger impact on the world that thousands of mediocre Catholics so how do we create those saints? Check out his latest book “One Disciple At a Time.”

Finally, Taylor shares one of the craziest experiences he's ever had in confession! It involved elation, anger, violins and more!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 7/13/22 Taylor Schroll 7/13/22

Chaotic Energy, Marriage & Saint Miracles w/JMJ Missions & Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 297

Allison Sullivan cohosts with Taylor Schroll with the most chaotic episode they've ever done together! They were all over the place & got increasingly grumpy with each other...which they realized was due to them both being hangry. Along the way they tackle work/life balance, professional success, meeting your heroes, marriage and much more. The founders of JMJ Missions share their favorite saint miracle stories.

Our guests this week are the founders of JMJ Missions. They are content creators, speakers & share their favorite saint miracle stories. Check out their podcast wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 7/8/22 Taylor Schroll 7/8/22

1st Renew Men's Retreat Recap w/ Fr. Anthony | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 296.5

We had our 1st official Forte Catholic retreat and it went great! Fr. Anthony Sciarappa & Taylor recap the highlights.

A huge thanks to Paul George for getting this set up for us! We gathered at a beautiful ranch in the Texas Hill Country and spent four days praying, celebrating the Sacraments, skeet shooting, drinking, bonding and playing poker. It was the best of being a Catholic man :)

For more info on future retreats head to ForteCatholic.com/retreats

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 7/6/22 Taylor Schroll 7/6/22

Liturgical Abuse, Priest Formation & Leadership w/Bearded Blevins & Fr. Anthony | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 296

Fr. Anthony, Bearded Blevins & Taylor team up for this episode where they discuss liturgical abuse, how priest formation takes too long but often isn't enough & share a story about sacrificial leadership. And speaking of leadership...is Pope Francis retiring soon!?!?

Fr. Anthony is still in Texas so he teams up with Taylor & Jon to discuss a wide variety of topics. The start off with a hilarious video that swept the Catholic internet last week of a priest sharing the most hilarious intercessions at Mass. This leads to a discussion of liturgical abuse and what we can do about it(and what Jon has already done!)

Next, Taylor posits that priest seminary formation takes way too long and yet often isn't enough. The three amigos put their heads together to try and find a middle ground solution.

To close the show, they discuss a recent interview with the awesome head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin. It's a story about how he held out one of his stars players from a game because it was what was best for the player. A true sign of leadership. And speaking of leadership...is Pope Francis retiring soon?!?!

We hope you enjoy this week's episode!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

src="https://player.fireside.fm/v2/06dd6PJo+QmarGTeb?theme=dark" width="740" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no">

Taylor Schroll 6/30/22 Taylor Schroll 6/30/22

Father Anthony Comes to Texas!!! | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 295

Fr. Anthony is in Texas with Taylor for a week! They catch up, talk about Trinitarian theology while attempting to avoid heresy & their thoughts on the recent Roe v. Wade decision.

Father Anthony Sciarappa is spending the week in Texas with Taylor for vacation & a retreat they're going on together. They talk about how Taylor was berated for a grammatical error on last week's show & some highlights from Taylor's youth conference.

Then, they dare to tread the murky waters of Trinitarian theology. The Trinity is a mystery and Taylor has been scared to teach about it for years for many reasons. But he had to give a talk on it recently so he learned a lot but still has questions. Father Anthony explains how he has eluded heresy in his Trinitarian preaching.

Finally, they discuss the recent reversal of Roe V. Wade and how the Church has responded. They discuss hope(and the lack of it) and share how they've been feeling since the decision was released. We hope you enjoy this week's episode!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 6/22/22 Taylor Schroll 6/22/22

Wall Street Journal, Bartender Jesus & Prayer Regiments w/Liv Harrison | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 294

To everyone's amazement, Taylor & Forte Catholic were mentioned in this week's Wall Street Journal. Taylor shares how that happened and also asks Liv an odd question about Jesus' first miracle. Finally, they discuss their go-to prayers.

To everyone's amazement, Taylor & Forte Catholic were mentioned in this week's Wall Street Journal. He tells Liv the story of how it all unfolded.

Next, Taylor asks a seemingly strange question about Jesus' first miracle that leads to a question about implicity/fault in sin.

Finally, they talk about their prayer routines/regiments that they use as a foundation for their prayer life. Enjoy!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 6/15/22 Taylor Schroll 6/15/22

Old Ladies, Sleepy Faith & Back to Basics w/Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 293

Taylor & Allison talk about the play she is in and what it teaches us about mimicry and being present. Taylor discusses the importance of returning to the basics of our faith & how something incredible that happened in the NBA Finals mirrors his faith life.

Allison Sullivan cohosts and talks with Taylor about the play she is in "Steel Magnolias." Taylor has a lot of questions for her, pokes fun at her and then they have a chat about mimicry and being present.

Next, Taylor gives an update on the Foundations course he's leading and how returning to the basics of faith has been good for him and everyone else involved.

Finally, they discuss something incredible that happened in the NBA Finals and it's parallels to Taylor's faith life. Enjoy!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 6/8/22 Taylor Schroll 6/8/22

Jon Unleashed, Unanswered Prayer & Weird Traditions w/Jon Blevins | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 292

Taylor has a backhanded compliment for Jon & shares a few food takes & reactions to some odd news stories with Jon that leads to a conversation about a Scripture verse Taylor has struggled with. Finally, they rant about a weird Catholic tradition. Enjoy!

Taylor has a backhanded compliment for Jon. This unleashes Jon's full potential!!! They discuss an odd article about Jon that Taylor found in the deepest parts of the web.

Taylor shares a few food takes & reactions to some odd news stories with Jon that leads to a conversation about a Scripture verse Taylor has struggled with: Ask, Seek, Knock. They try to figure out how that verse works for seemingly unanswered prayers.

Finally, they rant about a weird Catholic tradition. Enjoy!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 6/1/22 Taylor Schroll 6/1/22

Stepping on Toes, Bad Decisions & The Saints w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 291

A recent fiasco at one of Fr. Anthony's Masses drove Taylor crazy and he's no longer worried about stepping on people's toes. Fr. Anthony wants a tattoo and Taylor yells at him. We close out the show with a Fr. Anthony Q&A session. Enjoy!

Fr. Anthony recently gave communion for 45 minutes straight at a Mass because he didn't have help. This drove Taylor crazy and makes him share a recent change to how he goes about life. He's tired of worrying about stepping on people's toes and he's just going to step up instead. (Not like in the movie Step Up though. He can't dance)

Then Fr. Anthony shares about two life changes he wants to make and Taylor isn't really on board with either: a consecration to Mary(which he has questions about) and a tattoo(which Taylor thinks is dumb for Fr. Anthony). It's quite a wild conversation.

Finally, Taylor asks Father Anthony small group questions from a recent retreat he led for High School students. Tune in to see how Fr. Anthony does!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 5/25/22 Taylor Schroll 5/25/22

Wrestling, Paracletus & Decision Fatigue w/Liv Harrison | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 290

Taylor has a quick update on a conversation from last episode and talks with Liv about wrestling with God. They also talk about where the title "Paraclete" for the Holy Spirit came from and decision fatigue.

Taylor & Liv spent the day together and then recorded this episode in her studio! They give an update on their lives, Taylor has a quick update on a conversation from last episode and they talk about wrestling with God. They also talk about where the title "Paraclete" for the Holy Spirit came from and what that means today.

Finally, they discuss decision fatigue, christian over-discernment and use the book of Acts as proof we shouldn't freeze in decisions. We just gotta chill bro.

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 5/19/22 Taylor Schroll 5/19/22

Surprises, Mental Health & Prayer w/Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 289

Allison is back! She talks with Taylor about where she's been, mental health and they both talk about some surprises they've had to deal with recently. Taylor complains(typical) and shares some insight into doing things contrary to how he usually does things and it turned a terrible day into an incredible day! Finally, they discuss their favorite words to pray with. Enjoy!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 5/4/22 Taylor Schroll 5/4/22

Personal Questions & Breaking the Rules w/Jon Blevins | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 288

Taylor shares a story he recently heard in a homily that he's heard many times before, but this time he has some questions about it. It involved following Catholic rules(or not), respect for the Sacraments and martyrdom. They also answer 8th grade small group questions for kicks and giggles.

Taylor & Jon haven't talked in a while so they kick off the show by catching up on each other's lives with stories about life, work, sports.

Next, Taylor shares a story he recently heard in a homily that he's heard many times before, but this time he has some questions about it. It involved following Catholic rules(or not), respect for the Sacraments and martyrdom. Prepare for potential controversy(or to be convinced!)

Finally, Taylor recently led an 8th grade boys small group and thought it would be fun if he and Jon answered some of those questions on the show. It led to some fun answers and some more deep conversations. We hope you enjoy this week's episode! If you do, please subscribe and share :)

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 4/28/22 Taylor Schroll 4/28/22

Easter Joy, the Four Loves & Eastern Catholicism w/David Bates | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 287

David Bates of the Pints with Jack podcast guest cohosts with Taylor as they share their insight from Holy Week and this Easter Season. They also discuss two things right up David's alley: CS Lewis & Byzantine Catholicism.

They dive into Lewis' book "The Four Loves" and Taylor pesters him with questions about why he is different than him. It's quite fun. Enjouy!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 4/13/22 Taylor Schroll 4/13/22

Holy Week, Freestyle Preaching & Healing w/Fr Anthony & Fr Harrison | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 286

Happy Holy Week y'all! Here is our "Holy Weak" episode discussing our favorite(and most annoying) parts of Holy Week. We also discuss healing and if we should be asking for miraculous healings. And Fr. Harrison Ayre joins us to play our Freestyle Preaching game against his Clerically Speaking cohost, Fr. Anthony :)

We're back! After taking a week off due to Taylor having the plague, he and Fr. Anthony Sciarappa kick off our Holy Week episode by discussing healing. There are many stories of healing in the Scriptures but do they still happen today? Should we be asking for miraculous healings? What happens if we ask for healing and it doesn't come? They dive into a discussion on these deep issues.

In the next segment, Fr. Anthony is surprised to find out that this week's guest is none other than his Clerically Speaking cohost, Fr. Harrison Ayre. Fr. Harrison has been discussing preaching off the cuff more so Taylor invited him to challenge Fr. Anthony to our Freestyle Preaching game where they each take turns giving 60 second sermons but the catch is they have to include three random words that Taylor gives them. Priest vs. Priest preach-off. This is not a segment you want to miss!

Finally, Taylor and Fr. Anthony discuss their favorite parts of Holy Week: the veneration of the cross, welcoming people into the Church, etc. They also air some grievances about some of the things they'd like to nitpick about Holy Week. And to close it out, Fr. Anthony shares one of the strangest Holy Week customs Taylor has ever heard! Enjoy and have a blessed Holy Week!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 3/30/22 Taylor Schroll 3/30/22

Live from Chicago w/Jon Blevins | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 285

Taylor went to Jon's house for his annual March Madness party and they recorded a podcast together. This is their first ever recording in person and it was a blast!

They chatted about the weekend: hanging out with 50 dudes & having Mass in Jon's house. They kept the sports theme going with comparing an elusive baseball stat with our spiritual life. And they played an intense round of our saints game of Imitate, Intercess or Ignore!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.

Taylor Schroll 3/23/22 Taylor Schroll 3/23/22

Character Development, Pop Up Books & Health w/Liv Harrison | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 284

Taylor talks with Liv about his recent trip to see multiple doctors, the insights he gained from some wild new discoveries and how it connects to his faith. Next, they discuss if our five hosts have gone through any character development over the course of the show's existence. Finally, Taylor shares a pop up book his daughter made entitled "Where is my Daddy?"

Liv Harrison cohosts as Taylor shares about his recent trip to see multiple doctors. It wasn't the greatest day but he saw a lot of silly, and some serious, connections to his faith life during his day with the docs. He also asked a one doctor a question prompted by Liv and he didn't get the answer he was expecting.

Then, they discuss if this podcast's hosts have had any character development throughout the course of the show. Has Taylor grown in six years since the show launched? How have the cohosts grown in their three years as part of the show? Tune in to find out and let us know your thoughts on social media.

Finally, Taylor shares a pop up book that his lovely daughter made for him entitled "Where Is Daddy?" She wrote this while he was on a trip so it tugs on the heartstrings.

We hope you enjoy this week's episode! Stay tuned for next week's episode live from Chicago with Jon Blevins!

Subscribe/Rate

Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate

Episode art by Becka Gerhart

All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.