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.
Tragedy Strikes Again & Valuing Marriage w/ Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 340
Taylor shares how he now has TWO kids with broken arms in his house, dealing with tough times as a Catholic & Allison Sullivan talks about the value of a good marriage.
It's been a wild couple of months for the Forte Catholic podcast. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
After some big wins, this was another tough week with Taylor's youngest breaking her arm at school and needing surgery at Texas Children's. He shares the story and Allison guides the conversation on how he is responding and how to navigate difficult times as a Catholic.
In the next segment, Taylor asks Allison some "gotcha" questions about marriage that stir the pot and they end up accidentally talking about privilege, life insurance & how to value our spouses more.
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Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Walls of Jericho & Fancy Catholic Words w/ Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 339
Taylor & Fr. Anthony discuss the Jericho story like you've never heard before, Malcolm Gladwell failing forward and play Fancy Catholic trivia!
Fr. Anthony & Taylor kick off the show with some Italian stereotypes & two great moments for God's chosen people in the Old Testament: The parting of the Red Sea & the Battle of Jericho. We promise you've never heard the Jericho story like this!
Next, Fr. Anthony actually did some show prep so that we can play Fancy Catholic Words. The good priest gives Taylor some words that only fancy Catholics would know and he has to guess what they mean. Can you do any better than Taylor did?
They close the show with a conversation about leadership, failure & improving after Taylor was inspired by a recent Malcolm Gladwell story.
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Champions & Miracles w/ Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 338
Our happiest episode in months! Taylor's Track Girls are State Champions! And his son's arm is (miraculously?) healed! Allison has HUGE news as well!
In a special and rare episode, both Taylor & Allison are INCREDIBLY HAPPY! The ladies that Taylor coaches won the first athletic state title in the storied history of their school. It was a really special weekend with yelling & cheering & tears & bountiful joy! Allison rejoices with him as he retells the story!
The other big stressor in Taylor's life the last couple of weeks has been his son's broken arm. They got news this week that he doesn't need surgery after all! A huge blessing with a story of healing & our community rallying around us. Thank you all for your support!
Allison also has BIG news of her own to share that Taylor gets to celebrate with her!
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Roller Coasters, Practice & Parenting w/ Kathryn Whitaker | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 337
Taylor is joined by Kathryn Whitaker in studio as they talk about the high highs and the low lows of the last couple of weeks. They also discuss the importance of being a "practicing" Catholic and how that may mean a shift in focus on how we view our spiritual journeys.
Taylor is joined by Kathryn Whitaker in studio as they talk about the high highs and the low lows of the last couple of weeks. Taylor shares the good, bad and ugly from his track coaching, parenting and spiritual life. Kathryn shares her insight and wisdom from her experiences as a mom and Catholic.
They also discuss the importance of being a "practicing" Catholic and how that may mean a shift in focus on how we view our spiritual journeys. Enjoy!
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Child Jesus, Indulgences & Addiction w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 336
Fr. Anthony & Taylor discuss what we should be focusing on during this extended Easter season, the questions of if the benefits of indulgences are worth the confusion & the morality of addiction.
Fr. Anthony joins Taylor for a discussion on what we should be focusing on during the extended Easter season. Taylor also shares a strange insight about the people who grew up around Jesus during the "lost years" of his childhood/teen/young adult years.
Taylor also asks Fr. Anthony about indulgences:
-What are they?
-Why the bad rap?
-Are they worth the confusion?
They also discuss the morality of addiction, especially when addiction leads to other sins. It is a complicated and nuanced discussion on sin, culpability & the depths of the moral life.
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Cupcakes, Leprechauns & Humility w/Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 335
Allison Sullivan joins Taylor Schroll as he shares about how a recent reflection on the Creation story really broke his brain in regards to the balance between confidence and humility. They also discuss how Catholics should think about legacy, what we learn from St. Joseph's inadequacy & how we can bring peace into any situation.
Allison Sullivan joins Taylor Schroll as he shares about how a recent reflection on the Creation story really broke his brain in regards to the balance between confidence and humility.
They also discuss how Catholics should think about legacy, what we learn from St. Joseph's inadequacy & how we can bring peace into any situation. All with some cupcakes and leprechauns mixed in :)
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Holy Weak & the Holy Land w/Kathryn Whitaker | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 334
Kathryn Whitaker returns to share about her amazing trip to the Holy Land! Kathryn & Taylor also talk about how God is present to us even in places that we may not always expect him. Have a blessed Holy Week!
Kathryn Whitaker returns to share her incredible experience in the Holy Land. She talks about all of the places that she went to that we will hear about at the Masses of this Holy Week. She came back changed spiritually AND physically.
She & Taylor also discuss how we are constantly on “holy ground” and in God’s presence in the places we may least expect it. They discuss the story of the burning bush and places where they’ve encountered God where they weren’t necessarily looking for Him. They also talk about the places in their lives where God probably is but they haven’t taken the time to recognize Him.
We hope you have a blessed Holy Week!
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
The Mass, Pastoral Care & Slippery Slopes w/Fr. Will Rooney | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 333
Taylor's associate pastor, Fr. Will Rooney, joins the show to chat about pastorally making changes to a parish and the Mass & the strangeness of slippery slope arguments.
Taylor has known Fr. Will since his early seminary days and he is now the associate pastor at his parish. Fr. Will comes in studio to chat about the Mass & Pastoral Care. Particularly how to make changes to the Mass over time in a way where the people in the pews won't revolt. Taylor has some compliments and some challenges for the young priest on that front. Some lively conversation and hilarity ensues.
They close out the show with Taylor sharing about how tired he is of "slippery slope" arguments. He sees them all the time and thinks they're one of the dumbest ways to argue. He gets Fr. Will's thoughts on some common Catholic slippery slope arguments.
Donate
Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Morality & the Sacred Heart w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 332
Taylor has questions about some weird Church rules and some strange morality questions for Fr. Anthony. Father also shares about his recent trip to Canada and shares some reflections on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Taylor has some bones to pick with Fr. Anthony & some strange Church rules. They also talk about Fr. Anthony's recent trip to Canada to lead a parish mission for Fr. Harrison's parish. Fr. Anthony shares an overview of each night of the mission, all focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the last segment, Taylor has some morality questions for Fr. Anthony on an array of topics including talking too much, cussing, and in regards to priests chanting in Mass and one of the secret priest prayers during the liturgy. Enjoy!
Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Sarah Allen
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Negative Feedback & Catholic Feminism w/Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 331
Taylor & Allison discuss movies from before Taylor was born, self-talk and how both negative & positive reinforcement can be helpful. Allison also shares about her recent trip to Patricia Heaton's house(!) for a gathering of Catholic pro-life ladies.
Taylor & Allison are together for the first time in a couple weeks so that have a lot to catch up on! Allison challenges Taylor on his self-talk and he talks about using both positive and negative reinforcement while coaching his track team. They also discuss some old movies that came out before Taylor was born.
In the next segment, Allison shares about her recent fancy ladies trip to Nashville. A lot of leaders in the pro-life movement met at Patricia Heaton's house(yes, THAT Patricia Heaton) to meet each other and share thoughts, dreams and ideas. She has a lot of great insight and Taylor has some news for Allison that she doesn't like to hear ;)
Thanks for watching/listening! Y'all are the best!
Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Ordinations, Repetition & Jesus w/Kathryn Whitaker | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 330
Taylor shares a beautiful story from a Deacon ordination he added that also had a funny ending. They also discuss the importance of repetition & a few reflections on the life of Jesus.
Taylor shares a beautiful story from a Deacon ordination he added that also had a funny ending. They also discuss the importance of repetition & a few reflections on the life of Jesus.
Today's episode is brought to you in part by Almighty Legends. Their goal is to deliver a unique and thoughtful action figure line that will create a positive change in the way collectors, both young and seasoned, collect and play. Almighty Legends aims to blend the greatest story ever told with the youthful imagination of those that love classic action figures. These figures are based on the Bible and take a legendary approach.
Support the project and get your archangels figurines here
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Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Catholic Comedy Interview w/Steven Garone | BONUS Forte Catholic Podcast
We talk with a Catholic sketch comedian about his work and the importance of humor in faith & our day to day lives. Steven and I met on Twitter and I really enjoy his sketches about faith, family and catholic life.
We talk with a Catholic sketch comedian about his work and the importance of humor in faith & our day to day lives. Steven and I met on Twitter and I really enjoy his sketches about faith, family and catholic life. If you ever need a pick-me-up on a tough day, head to CatholicComedy.com to listen to some great Catholic humor.
Check out the Catholic Comedy festival on March 11th in Arizona. Use code FORTECATHOLIC for 25% off your tickets
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Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Live from the Forte Catholic Men's Retreat | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 329
We hosted a men's retreat in Southern Louisiana and it was an awesome experience! We share graces & play a hot takes game in a live episode :)
We hosted a men's retreat in Southern Louisiana and it was an awesome experience! We share graces & play a hot takes game in a live episode :)
Taylor & eight other guys spent the weekend in a beautiful lake house in southern Louisiana and had a great time! We spent the weekend in prayer, fellowship, drinks, great food, a trip to the beach and some great game time!
We decided to record an episode at the lake house together with a whole cast of characters. In today's episode, you'll hear some of the things that the Lord was doing in the hearts and minds of the men on the retreat and also get to join in our fun as we play "Mezzo/Piano/Forte", our hot takes about Catholicism game.
We hope you enjoy this episode! If you'd like more info about our retreats, click here.
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Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Healing Prayer, Lay People & Intinction w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 328
Taylor & Fr. Anthony discuss healing prayer, intinction and Fr. Anthony's favorite topic: LAY PEOPLE! And they start off the show in a way no other Catholic podcast has ever done before! Enjoy :)
Fr. Anthony and Taylor start the podcast in a brand new way that you could have never seen coming! Taylor shares a story about a new Church he went to that distributed Communion in a different way than he is used to which led to some awkwardness, questions and ultimately a great experience.
Taylor also approaches Fr. Anthony with a dilemma about not wanting to pray bold prayers. He was recently in a couple of situations where people wanted him to pray for big healings or miracles and he just couldn't for some reason. Was it prudence? Fear? Both? Fr. Anthony has some great advice!
Finally, they discuss Fr. Anthony's favorite topic: LAY PEOPLE! Taylor has some questions about how lay people's role of priest, prophet and king should play out in a parish/diocese that has ordained men also being priest, prophet and king. Where is the line between what God has called me to do and still being respectful of the structure God put in place in the hierarchy of the Church?
We really enjoyed recording this episode and hope you enjoy watching!
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Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Lectio Divina & George Strait w/Kathryn Whitaker | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 327
Taylor & Kathryn share their favorite ways to pray (We guarantee you've never heard Kathryn's answer!) They discuss Lectio Divina which is a great way to pray with scripture and share a reflection on Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well.
Taylor & Kathryn share stories from their recent retreat/conference weekends and talk a bit about prayer. Taylor has been asking people he respects and looks up to how they pray for years and Kathryn gives the most surprising answer yet!
They also discuss Lectio Divina, which is a way of praying with Scripture that Taylor has found particularly helpful. They lay out how it works and discuss some of the fruits of prayer, in particular with the Gospel story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman.
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Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
Self-worth, Burnout & Hearts of Joy w/Lauren Costabile & Allison Sullivan | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 326
Taylor & Allison discuss self-worth & dealing with burnout. They are also joined by Lauren Costabile to talk about her work with Hearts of Joy which provides the love, care and life-saving surgeries that children with Down Syndrome need around the world.
Taylor & Allison recap her recent retreat and discuss how they view themselves. Our self-worth is an important thing to balance and Taylor is surprised by Allison's answer to an important question.
They also discuss burnout and how to get out of the cycle/systems that lead to us losing drive and the joy that comes from our routine tasks.
They're also joined by Lauren Costabile to discuss her work with Hearts of Joy: an organization designed to help children with Down Syndrome receive the surgeries, love and care that they need. For more information check out their website.
Subscribe/Rate
Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Help other people find the show 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
Produced by Taylor Schroll
Edited by Nate Bentz
Episode art by Becka Gerhart
All music used on the show is by Brandon “BeTheSymbol” Morel. Find his music at bethesymbol.com.
The Beatitudes | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 325
Taylor Schroll flies solo this week and shares two of his favorite reflections on this past weekend's Gospel: the Beatitudes.
Taylor Schroll flies solo this week and shares two of his favorite reflections on this past weekend's Gospel: the Beatitudes.
The first is from the homily at his parish given by Fr. Brian Eilers contrasting the themes from Jesus' famous sermon on the mount with how the world tells us to live.
The second is from a song called "Confession" by the Poor Kings. The lead singer was Taylor's HS youth minister and its a beautiful modern reflection on these ancients truths.
We hope you enjoy today's episode! Please subscribe, like and share with a friend :)
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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.
Topics Galore & the Alphabet Game w/Fr. Anthony Sciarappa | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 324
Our topics include Prayer Ministry, our "type", hedges of Protection, hot takes on English vs. Latin, the Gospel writers in Heaven, getting bored with our faith, a brand new hilarious game, the morality of DoorDashing from Hooters, coincidence or God & Catholic pronunciations!
Typically we tackle 2-3 primary topics on an episode. This week we're trying to see how many topics we can jam into this episode, so we GUARANTEE there's something for everyone.
Our topics include:
-Prayer Ministry
-Our "type"
-Hedges of Protection
-Hot takes on English vs. Latin
-The Gospel writers in Heaven
-Getting bored with our faith
-A brand new hilarious game
-The morality of DoorDashing from Hooters
-Coincidence or God?
-Catholic pronunciations
Yes, we discuss all of that in this hour long show and we hope it brightens your day as much as it brightened our to record!
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.
Italy, Conspiracy Theories & the Turing Test w/Kathryn Whitaker | Forte Catholic Podcast Ep 323
Live from Austin, Texas! Today's episode was recording at Kathryn Whitaker's home in the capital of the great country of Texas! She recently returned from a family trip to Italy and shares all about her experiences in the heartland of our faith. We also test her mettle at our favorite game "Freestyle Preaching" and Taylor shares his thoughts on conspiracy theories and the Turing Test.
Live from Austin, Texas! Today's episode was recording at Kathryn Whitaker's home in the capital of the great country of Texas!
Kathryn recently returned from a family trip to Italy and shares all about her experiences in the heartland of our faith. We also test her mettle at our favorite game "Freestyle Preaching" and Taylor shares his thoughts on conspiracy theories and the Turing Test.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
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.
Top Ten Podcast Episodes of 2022
The countdown of the Top 10 most popular episodes of 2022.
Thank y’all for a great year for the Podcast! We had over 60k downloads, including our best month ever in June with over 6k! That brings us to a total of over 250k since we launched! Thanks for all the support!
Top 10 Episodes of 2022
Here were the episodes y’all liked the most this year ranked 10 through 1.
Click the photos to listen.
If you're having trouble viewing the rankings and descriptions on mobile (i.e. from twitter) view in your browser on original mode.
Thank you again to everyone who listens to the show!
Start 2022 off by checking out any of these top episodes you missed, share the show
with your friends. Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.