Forte Catholic Podcast: Making Catholicism Fun Again

Jon Blevins co-hosts this week as we talk updates to the bracket, Memento Mori and are joined by Paul George to talk marriage. The 3rd annual Ministry Madness Bracket is here! This is a voteable bracket on which Catholic ministry leaders would win in a legal boxing match all decided by you, the listener. Head to MinistryMadness.com for more info and to cast your votes now! We loved our conversation with Paul! One of my biggest issues with how I have seen most marriage prep work is that a picture is cast that everything is going to be beautiful and rosy. Yes, marriage is a beautiful sacrament and gift, but its also hard. Paul hits this right on the head in a very open and honest conversation between the three of us. Find more from Paul at DiscoverTheArtOfLiving.com. In the final segment, Jon and Taylor discuss what Memento Mori means, our previous misconceptions of it and how it is helpful in the spiritual life, especially during Lent. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscrib

Fr. Anthony Sciarappa co-hosts as the guys checkin on how Lent is going so far(uhhhh....whoops) and talk about the ups and downs of the last week. The highlight is really talking about shaving Taylor's beard down to a creeper stache. We're also joined by THE lovely Beth Davis of Blessed Is She, this tremendous ministry for Catholic women...that the dudes didn't know much about because...well...the whole dude thing. Beth is tremendous and her joy contagious. She shares her journey and what Blessed Is She is all about. Find out more at blessedisshe.net. 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! Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by

In our 2nd Annual "Limping Into Lent" episode, Taylor lets the audience decide what he's doing for Lent. Allison Sullivan co-hosts as we go through all of the silly, serious and downright awful listener suggestions for what Taylor should do this Lent and ultimately decide by the end of the show. Our guest this week is another attempt to decide if Canada is a real place. Patrick Sullivan is a "Canadian" evangelist who has a project around Catholic review of tv shows. We talk the pros and cons of watching what everyone else is watching & how to find truth, beauty and goodness amidst the muck. Find more from Patrick at Evango.net. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

In the wake of the 91st Academy Awards, Taylor wanted to give out his own awards. Shaun McAfee co-hosts and the guys talk movies & the Forte Five segment is back as Taylor counts down his favorite movies of the year. Then it gets really interesting as we make up new categories for Scripture to receive some of the awards. Our guest this week is acclaimed G.K. Chesterton mind, Dale Ahlquist. We get to know Chesterton, his conversion story and how he has helped others do the same. How is Chesterton the "prince of paradox" and the "apostle of common sense? Will he become a saint? Tune in to find out! For more on Chesterton, check out Dale’s new book “Knight of the Holy Ghost.” Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

Allison Sullivan co-hosts and the comedian currently winning the internet, Jeremy McLellan joins as our guest this week! We talk comedy & faith and how he has intertwined those with race and religion. Jeremy has a special gift of making the controversial hilarious. Hear his comedy and story first hand right here! The rest of the show, Taylor and Allison discuss how we often forget that God's love really is unconditional(and Allison gets her preach on again!) We also answer really dumb questions from the audience and Allison absolutely loses it. Truly a special moment in show history lol. Enjoy! Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

BONUS EPISODE-Galentine’s w/Katie Prejean McGrady-Clearing up confusion and a guide to this strange holiday So this all started with a friend of mine who is in a serious relationship hosting a Galentine’s celebration for all of her friends…who are single. She is of the mind that it’s ladies getting together to celebrate female friendship. I think her hosting for all her single friends is the accidentally cruelest thing this sweet lady as ever done lol. So of course, we took the discussion to Twitter with a poll and the results have been coming in almost exactly 50/50 on whether single people want their married/dating friends at Galentine’s. This got Catholic Twitter’s lead on all things “Parks and Rec” involved and we fall on opposite sides of the discussion so we knew we had to record a convo around the Galentine’s phenomenon. So we scheduled it 30 minutes before recording and now it’s here for ya! I also ask Katie to share advice for all of us(male, female, single, married) around the week of Valentine’s/Ga

Jon Blevins co-hosts and gives an update from inside Exodus 90. Taylor's take on the matter has become quite public so we let someone who's in the middle of doing it report on how it's going. Tune in to find out! Joel Stepanek first came on the show as guest co-host on episode 33 and now rejoins to share about humility. His new book "Chasing Humility" is coming out just in time for Lent! It revolves around the Litany of Humility, which Jon and Taylor are terrible at. Joel gives insight into how many of us misunderstand humility. It was a fun and eye-opening convo. The finish off the show, Taylor and Jon discuss dry spells in the spiritual life, how to deal with them & how to get out. And Taylor shares a modern day parenting miracle ;) Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follo

Ooooo boy! This one was wild! Taylor got very little sleep and loses it on the air! Fr. Anthony joins and tries to help with the meltdown, but even his priest powers can't resist the tide. We talk Super Bowl, ad orientem Mass, and simple things that should have occurred to Taylor about the liturgy years ago but didn't until this week. Our guest this week is David Bates: British Catholic, fancy word user, owner of glasses which make him seem believable, & former unemployed hobo. Tune in for his accent, stay for his eloquent words on why C.S. Lewis is the man! Check him out at Restlesspilgrim.net and his podcast at pintswithjack.com. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

Shaun cohosts to discuss how there is so much more in store for us than we often think in our relationship with God. We also talk about the joys of fatherhood, including conversations about Pokemon, Ariana Grande and what this all has to do with our faith. The guys are joined this week by the founder of "Stay Close to Christ."(StayclosetoChrist.com). We talk about how he was inspired to start a company to help people live their faith, and how it all started in his classroom. We also discuss tips for new dads(from two semi-decent Catholic parents). Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and share the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

Just might be the funniest episode yet! Fr. Anthony Sciarappa co-hosts as we talk follow up to the #Exodus90 convo on Ep 117 & how the audience trapped Taylor into becoming a better person. In the second segment, Taylor is joined by youth ministry guru Chris Wesley. They shoot the breeze(literally?), talk about riding other people's coattails, youth ministry stories and how to get out of the ruts we find ourselves in. Check out everything he's doing at Marathon Youth Ministry. (https://marathonyouthministry.com) And the final segment may be the most ridiculous thing we've ever done. Fr. Anthony wants to blow up the moon!?!?! Taylor shares some spiritual insights in the moon and tries to back Padre into a corner. Was he successful? Tune in and find out! Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and share the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social m

Allison Sullivan co-hosts as we talk about intercessory prayer...and how bad Taylor is at it. Allison essentially preaches up a storm and looks at him with scorn so he will be better. In the second segment, we're joined by Mary Bielski. She travels the nation to speak and has run into Taylor a few times. She leads the convo on authenticity. In the final segment, everyone's favorite character on the show, Rocco, joins us to talk about his Eagles losing and the importance of finding healing in order to move forward in the spiritual life. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

We had to give the people what they want, so Bearded Blevins rejoins the show! We talk about the recent #Seek2019 conference Taylor attended, how Catholics are awesome and super weird, how we go about New Year's Resolutions and more! This week's guest is the founder of Swole Catholic. It's perfect for this time of year as we all focus on improving spiritually, professionally and physically. Hear all the great things they're doing to help people meet their goals and find wholeness. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

To kick off 2019, we did something a bit different with this episode. Shaun McAfee co-hosts and we looked back at the highlights from 2018 to both reminisce and also catch up our newest listeners. In the second segment, Brandon “Be The Symbol” Morel rejoins the show to discuss what the universality of the Church really means practically for him in inner city New York. He’s the man behind most of the music you hear on Forte Catholic. Be sure to check out his art! And finally, we give the people what they’ve been waiting for. We reveal the Top Ten Most Popular podcast episodes of 2018. Tune in to see which shows came out on top! I am so grateful that the podcast grew so much this year, especially in the last few months! Thank y’all so much for your support this year and for sharing the show with your friends. I truly appreciate it. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find

Merry Christmas from the Forte Catholic crew! We start the show off with a prank on Fr. Anthony! We continue by discussing how to keep Christmas going with a new understanding of peace and what the baby King means to us today. This episode, we are joined by comedian Aaron Weber! Taylor got to see him perform live on his tour with John Crist, thought he was hilarious and invited him on the show. Now that it's not just Taylor & his friends making jokes, this is one you don't want to miss! In the final segment, we are joined by local youth minister Daniel Loch as he shares a heartwarming story about how his church did something extremely special for a young family. The story is inspirational and challenges all of us on what it means to be church. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating in Apple Podcasts and subscribe. It's a free Christmas present to us! Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confi

Allison Sullivan co-hosts our final Advent 2018 show! We discuss final Advent ideas & recap the latest live recording event of her podcast Sinner Saint Sister on the topic of Christian Unity. In the second segment, Sandi Pino joins us to talk about a great opportunity we all have to give back and spread joy this season. Taylor also thinks he finally has the parable of the lost sheep figured out.(maybe?) In the final segment, Taylor shares a song he used to despise and now loves and how it defines his(and probably your) struggle with suffering. From all of us here at Forte Catholic, we hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas! Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

Taylor has returned from the National Catholic Conference of Youth Ministry with stories & insights, including a Mass Text segment(without the intro...whoops). We decide which homily is better between Taylor's, a 6'8" Bishop's & co-host Fr. Jared's. In the second segment, we are joined by Leila Miller, co-author of "Made This Way: How To Prepare Kids To Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues." In this book, she and Trent Horn team up to cover how to guide our children to Heaven in today's culture, especially how to answer tough questions about sex outside of marriage, modesty, homosexuality and more. To close out the show, Taylor and Fr. Jared discuss finding a home in a broken Church through the lyrics of Hillsong's latest hit "Who You Say I Am." Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thank

Taylor is joined by Shaun McAfee to kick off the Advent season with ample reminders to slow down and find rest in God. Taylor shares from one of the weirdest weeks he's had in a while that led into Advent. From travel, to being pulled over, to tech difficulties, to being a guest on an atheist's podcast, it was an interesting one for sure. And there's an Advent connection to all of it! In the second segment, seminarian Travis Crotty joins the show to share what "A Day in the life of a Seminarian" is like to give us a behind the scenes look into preparation for the priesthood. He shares particularly about the media fast he took and its implications for us this Advent season. In the final segment, we chat about what we are doing for Advent & how it is one of our favorite seasons to draw us back into the life of Christ. Thanks for listening! If you like the show, you can subscribe to make it easier to listen every week as the episode downloads automatically when posted. Also, we would truly appreciate you rating

Fr. Anthony Sciarappa cohosts as we start the show talking about not only using half your brain but instead using all God(and yo mama) gave you! Padre's quote at the end of the segment is worth more than gold lol. In the second segment, we're joined by Michael Foley to discuss the connection between preparing for Christmas and drinking a lot.....in a Catholic way! It's perfect! And in the final segment, Taylor rants about his "free speech booth" encounter and the guys discuss encouragement and end the show by being nice to each other. Twas' quite odd. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and live the Joy of the Gospel by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic:

Taylor returns from a trip to St. Louis for the National Youth Workers Convention with content for daeaaaays & a HUGE guest in Chris Stefanick! Chris, the internationally acclaimed author and speaker, shares about his new book "I Am ___; Rewrite Your Name, Reroute Your Life." This book is all about seeing yourself as God sees you, infusing our inner monologues with Scripture & understanding how our words and identity are extremely powerful in how we interact with the Lord and others. Shaun McAfee co-hosts and guest producer Thaddeus Romansky provide witty banter and insightful feedback(they're much smarter than Taylor) throughout the first and third segments. We talk pride, humility, the reason Satan fell and what it means for our mission in life. We also chat about Taylor's visit to the BEAUTIFUL Cathedral in St. Louis, his experience there & how it compared/contrasted with the worship experience at the conference. It got into some pretty insane back and forth where all three seem to just roast each other

Fr. Anthony Sciarappa co-hosts(WHAT!?!?!) as we talk about what Taylor learned about keeping things simple from the high school students he was on retreat with this weekend. (The students may or may not have been a little comically confused) In the second segment, we are joined by a listener favorite Fr. Augustine Wetta. He rejoins the show(from his high school classroom with actual students in it) to talk about his new novel "The Eighth Arrow" which explores what it would be like if Odysseus from the Odyssey was in Dante's Inferno. The book is a thoroughly entertaining jailbreak story, full of allusions to great works of old and the lessons contained. A segment with the monk who breaks all monk stereotypes is always entertaining. In the final segment, Taylor and Fr. Anthony bring back the "Mass Text" segment to revisit this past Sunday's readings, see how Father's homily went, discuss being bad at humility & why truths survive the test of time. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode