Forte Catholic Podcast: Making Catholicism Fun Again

We split this episode into two parts as the second contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But this first half is two segments with my new friends Chuck and Annie Fulkerson: hosts of the Salt and Light Podcast. We became fans of each others shows months ago and instant social media friends and have been planning being on each other's shows for quite some time and it finally happened! In the first segment, we get to know them and their podcast and hear how they have grown in their faith through parenting and marriage. In the second segment, I put their marriage to the test in "Sync'd Up: Christmas Edition" and then we turn them against each other in the newest version of "Star Wars or Scripture."

Final week of Advent and last show before Christmas! We kick off the episode with the only way I know how....with the vocal talent of Rod Stewart and what the heck that has to do with Advent. We also look at the readings from the 4th Sunday in Advent which are being overshadowed by Christmas Eve on the same day! Consistent listener Brian Baudoin makes his on air debut(finally!)as he joins Taylor and producer Sam to talk about the best ways to prepare in Advent and favorite Christmas memories. They also play "True or False" Christmas Story Edition. The game is much more difficult than you would think! From our team at Forte Catholic, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

This is hands down the most I have laughed in recording a show all year! It is almost Christmas and this episode is truly a holiday treat! With no guest today, it was just the normal crew in the studio playing games like Advent Bingo and guessing Taylor's favorite Christmas carols and hymns. We laughed the whole time and hope you will laugh along with us as you listen and play the games as you listen. Special holiday gifts for those who beat us at the games! Test your knowledge and see if you are smarter than the Forte Catholic crew(probably not all that difficult.) In the final segment, we hear the Christmas story from the mouths of babes. Hilarious but also sparks some final thoughts from Taylor on how to prepare and engage in this Advent/Christmas season.

It's not every day you get an Academy Award nominated director on your show! In the second segment of this week's show, I am joined by Timothy Reckart, the director of this year's Christmas hit "The Star" to discuss the movie and how it came about. The film is an intriguing animated take on the Christmas story from the perspective of the animals around the birth of Christ. With the voice talent of Oprah Winfrey, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, Patricia Heaton, Keegan Michael-Key, Zachary Levi, Kelly Clarkson and many more, this film is a sure fire hit for you and your family this holiday season! In the 1st and 3rd segments of the show, Taylor talks about Advent and how we can utilize this season of preparation, waiting and rejuvenation to refocus our life on Jesus and rest in His peace.

Howdy! Back again with another episode this week about our trip to Memphis for the National Youth Workers Convention. In the first segment, I talk about a pretty interesting/quirky Mass we attended in downtown. This includes a cowboy priest and a fresh take on the parable of the talents. In the segment segment, I welcome Steve Pokorny back to the show to talk about his upcoming book "Redeemed Vision" about being set free from pornography once and for all and the importance of seeking true beauty. In the final segment, producer Sam and I close out our sharing from the conference by talking about our favorite nuggets of wisdom we took home from the weekend like not being Jesus' lawyer and the priority of silence in the lives of a Christian.

In our second Thanksgiving episode, producer Sam and I talk about our recent trip to Memphis and the National Civil Rights Museum. We share some of our biggest takeaways and the connections to our faith. Then we are joined by "International Man of Science" J.P. Quinn to talk about how he sees God in Physics. But first, he had to do his own "Forte Five" segment counting down to most random things he is thankful for this year. I had to let him do it since he's the only Patreon supporter other than my mom. ;) Speaking of which, if you like the show and want to support it continuing, please head to patreon.com/fortecatholic to donate and in return receive behind the scenes content and bonus material. And then my kids can get Christmas presents ;) Thanks for listening and from all of us at the show, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

In the first segment, I finish a three part series over the last three episodes on Jesus appearing to His disciples after the Resurrection. This week's passage speaks of Jesus and Peter on the beach. In the second segment, I welcome highly anticipated guest, Anthony D'Ambrosio. He is the co-founder of Catholic Creatives and speaks about the importance of art and collaboration in the Church today. We also talk about the new film coming from the Catholic Creatives community on the beatitudes called "8beats." In the final segment, we introduce a new idea called "Unpublished Worship Songs." These are songs that Taylor has written about strange and obscure passages from the Bible that have never, EVER been put into song. This is a segment you absolutely don't want to miss. You will find yourself laughing and never being bored listening to the Scriptures in Mass again!

Sooo much to get to on this week's show! We kick off the night with some crazy stories from twitter, including my boss going viral last weekend and the update to 280 characters and how people are going crazy. We also continue our topic of Jesus visiting his disciples after the Resurrection with the "Doubting Thomas" story. In the second segment, I am joined by Matt Martinusen, producer of "The Ultimate Catholic Comic Book." I have read the whole thing and absolutely love it! I had a blast talking to Matt about how the project came to be, dealing with risk, and using new mediums to share the faith. To finish off the show, we do a "Forte Five" countdown on the five weirdest things people do or say in prayer. And then I share about a 2.5 hour conversation I had with a high school student on retreat this weekend and how Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader played a big role in that conversation.

A few months ago, I got a lot of questions and topic ideas from you, the listeners. A few of them, I am definitely not smart enough to answer...so I brought in help :) In the second segment, I am joined by my friend Adrian Charles who is studying Theology in Rome! He gives us an introduction into the topics of Natural Law and Logic. In the third segment, Texas A&M Philosophy student and Ablaze Missionary Becka Landry rejoins the show to talk about Metaphysics(a class I didn't understand and barely passed.) Also on this episode, we talk about a police officer friend of mine who listens to the show on patrol and discuss some Forte Catholic history trivia. Thanks for listening!

In the first segment, we play the "Old Testament or Scary Movie" game as we prepare for Halloween. In segment two, we welcome Catholic author Daniel Mattson to talk about his book "Why I Don't Call Myself Gay" and his journey through same sex attraction and faith. In the final segment, we return to the topic of the Old Testament and share some crazy stories from it that prove it's not "an old boring book" and that it truly has a purpose for us still today.

This episode, I talk about the birth of my 3rd child Felicity this past week and share another thing I've learned about my relationship with God from being a Father. In the second segment, I speak with two-time world surfing champion, Bear Woznick. Bear is a hardcore Catholic who is using his platform to call men to a higher standard of faith and excellence. We talk about his TV Show "Long Ride Home" and his new online community for Catholic men called "Bear's Man Cave." In the final segment, I speak with the president of Ignatius Press, Mark Brumley, about the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation this month. Ignatius Press is highlighting a book by Hilarie Belloc entitled "Characters of the Reformation" that goes into detail about some of the key players in the world of religion and politics at the time. I find the whole time period fascinating and enjoyed the interview. I hope you do as well. As always, please subscribe and rate the podcast on the platform you are listening on. It will really hel

We kicked off this week's show with a "Mass Text" segment where we looked at the Gospel for this coming Sunday. It is one of Jesus' lesser known parables and one of Taylor's favorites. In the second segment, we were joined by Dr. Alex Gotay as he discusses his upcoming documentary "Encultured" about the impact and influence of hip-hop on culture and how it can be used in ministry. In the final segment, I introduce missionary AJ Barrows and he shares about a social experiment he has been using in youth ministry to break down barriers and stigmas. It is quite intriguing so check it out. Please like/rate/share the show on your favorite podcasting platform. Your 60 seconds of time will help the show's publicity tremendously. Thank you!

Huge show to celebrate the show's 1 year anniversary of going live on the air! First, we were joined by the fellas from the Catholic Man Show to settle who is manlier between them by pitting them against each other in a game of "Who Said It: Adele or King David?" Then we announce some BIG news together about the future of the show. In the second segment, I am joined by one of the best Catholic speakers alive, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers. Tune in to hear how the Scriptures have made a huge difference in his life and how he wants to help the Scriptures come to life for you with his new book "Ignite: Read the Bible Like Never Before." In the final segment, we reminisce on our favorite moments in the show's first year. With stories from guest producers Kyle and Mckenzie, listeners on social media, and a special surprise guest, we recap the year's greatest moments. THANK YOU to all of you who have listened over the past year. This has truly been a dream come true and I am excited for what is coming in year two!

A celebration on the 50th episode of the show! Taylor starts the evening off by sharing the stories of his recent trip to Iowa to speak and lead worship in the Diocese of Sioux City. The new #MakeCatholicismFunAgain hats are also debuted on the air! Get yours now at ForteCatholic.com/store/hat. In the second segment, renowned evangelist and author Justin Fatica of Hard As Nails Ministry joins the show to talk about his new message and book "You're Amazing." He explores the message of hope in Jesus Christ and how it is changing lives across the nation. In the final segment, Taylor shares the story of the first time he ever went to confession. (Spoiler Alert: It was a doozy)

In this episode, I talk about my recent trip to Oklahoma City and the memorial of the OKC bombing. It was truly harrowing and stirred up a lot of anger within me that I struggled with. Was I righteously angry like Jesus in the temple or was hatred and human anger taking over? These are the things I was wrestling with in my time at the memorial and I share these experiences in the first segment of the show. In the second segment, I am joined by Professor Edward Feser to talk about the death penalty. The bomber in the OKC attack received the death penalty so it was interesting that this conversation lined up with my experiences this week. Edward recently co-authored a book called "By man shall his blood be shed: a Catholic defense of the death penalty," in which he sets out to explain the Church's teaching on the subject. In the final segment, I talk about times that anger has played a huge role in my life and the only thing that has helped and continues to help me improve and grow in virtue.

In this week's episode, we remember the events of 9/11 and talk about how to respond to fear. I also interview two wonderful people, Gina Bauer and Tom Craughwell! I speak to Gina about ministry, finding balance between work and home life and more. Tom and I talk about his new book "101 places to pray before you die" and share quite a few laughs!

Last week, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, we talked about big time suffering and how faith can help us in those situations. This week, we are talking about small sufferings, otherwise known as first world problems. I talk about silly things like losing my iPhone charger to not as silly things like my transmission going out in my car. I share how what we talked about last week helped me react better to these little sufferings than I would have before. In the second segment, I get to talk with the two ladies who host the dating podcast "Fishers of Men." Find me a better name for a podcast online. I dare you! We talk about modern day dating and what women want in a man. In the final segment, I share my experience of terrible music at Church this past weekend and what that has to do with the Body of Christ.

Such a pleasure to be invited back on to the Jennifer Fulwiler Show on Sirius XM 129 The Catholic Channel(thecatholicchannel.org). This time, we recapped the hilarious story about how I got on her show in the first place. We also talk about my work as a missionary with Ablaze, the power of music, and Jen calls me a "brilliant theologian" which makes everyone bellow a good hearty laugh. We also discuss what true joy is and the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

This episode aired just days after Hurricane Harvey devastated the coastline of Texas. Our prayers are with our friends, family and neighbors who have been affected by this tragedy. In the first segment, we talk about the aftermath of the hurricane: the stories of people hurting, the community rising together to help and try to make some kind of sense out of this tragedy and what can help us get through it. We look at two stories from Scripture that share about suffering to guide our conversation. In the second segment, I am joined by author Eric Sammons about his new book "The Profession." It is a work of fiction that tells the story of an American Catholic in 2049 living in a Muslim run country. We talk about the power of telling stories to spark ideas, conversation and conversion. In the final segment, we talk about the power of stories to lift us up, inspire us, help us relax and take us to new worlds. In the wake of the hurricane, I was reminded of the impact that good story telling can have to relax and

In the first segment of this week's show, we talk about the solar eclipse that came and went the day before. I asked listeners on social media to make connections between the eclipse and faith and we started off the show with a "Forte Five" countdown segment of the five best submissions. In segment two, I was privileged to interview author Fr. Terry Ehrman on his book "Man of God: Lessons To Young Men About Life, Sex, Friendship, Vocation, and Loving With The Heart of Christ" published by Catholic Answers. We discussed how his vocation came about and the importance of spiritual direction. For those who may have never heard of spiritual direction or have but have questions about it, this is the podcast for you. In the final segment, Taylor reinstates producer Jake's talking privileges as he is interview on his final segment with the show before leaving for college. We discuss the path God has led him on, play corny songs in Jake's honor and laugh....a lot.