Forte Catholic

Happy Thanksgiving from our crew to yours! We hope this episode gives you some laughs while you're avoiding your in-laws ;) There has been some negativity floating around the past few weeks so we decided to combat it with some thanksgiving! Of course it was perfect timing with the holiday this week, but Taylor was also reminded that it is hard to be negative and thankful at the same time so recall...

Taylor asks Allison Sullivan if he's too young to have a mid-life crisis because he would like to. They talk about what's been going on and how to find a way out of it. They also play a silly game to lighten the mood. Taylor is also joined by Keith of The Cordial Catholic to chat about being more welcoming to non-Catholics & assisting with their formation. Watch Taylor talk about the RCIA proc...

Fr. Anthony is back to discuss the lost years of Jesus with Taylor. There is ONE verse that covers the majority of Jesus' life from when He is a teen until His public ministry. We talk about what this verse means for our own spiritual growth & some Father gives some practical tips. They also discuss one of Taylor's leadership heroes, Zig Ziglar. He played a large role in Taylor's formation in...

This episode was recorded on the Eve of the Nativity of the Taylor. He & Liv reflect on the ups & downs of his "Jesus year" as his birthday drew near. The celebrations continue as Taylor shares the excitement of his sister's wedding this past weekend, the joy of family gatherings & reflecting on the past. They also discuss some breakthroughs they have both made in their personal and sp...

Taylor was put in a couple scenarios that we so awkward and we wasn't sure if he was the jerk or if it was the people who put him in those situations. So he turns to Kathryn for wisdom and guidance after sharing the stories. They also discuss how Taylor is currently in a never-ending Mass, Taylor calls Kathryn out on one of her beloved Aggie traditions & they work through some feedback they re...

Taylor explains that he's an idiot that keeps making the wrong choice with cohost Shaun McAfee. They discuss how getting old and pride aren't mixing well & the lessons he still needs to learn. This episode also has the RARE occasion where the Catechism is quoted. Taylor has been talking about his struggles in prayer over the past few weeks and found that the Catechism actually has a section fo...

Allison joins Taylor as he shares about something most people keep pretty close to their chest: money. He shares that money has been a constant stressor for over a decade and Allison thinks he's not alone. They discuss financial stressors, the pit of comparison & what role money plays in on spiritual lives. In the second segment, Allison helps Taylor prep for two new talks on the Vine & Br...

Liv Harrison is back in studio to talk with Taylor about Main Character Energy. We all think from our own point of view, so how do we break out of thinking we're the main character in the story. Taylor shares a strange tactic he uses to try and not make everything about him. Liv shares about her new tattoos & alliterative faith advice. Taylor is incredibly proud of one of his jokes & they...

Taylor & his kids were on their own this last weekend and it was a glimpse into how much things have changed over the years. We often don't notice gradual change until something special happens(like a rare weekend where Taylor's wife gets a break). Kathryn also shares how she has been in a season of change and the importance of continual change in the spiritual life. Next, Taylor shares a stor...

Shaun is back! One of the OG cohosts returns for a fun conversation. How to live your faith in the workplace has been a frequently requested topic for us to tackle so we finally found someone who doesn't work for the Church lol. Shaun talks about how he is able to live his faith in his fancy government job. They also talk about Sacramentals which is one of Shaun's favorite topics & Taylor does...

Taylor & Allison both share about their vastly different summers. Allison took on a new mission while Taylor dealt with something he never thought he would have to. They also discuss what we can still learn from Moses 4000 years later about choosing the right thing even if it's not the easy thing. They also chat about a moving story about how positive reinforcements can truly work wonders. Sub...

When Taylor visited Fr. Anthony in Pittsburgh, Father made him watch wrestling for the first time and it was an...interesting experience to say the least. They talk about how it was going well for a while until...well...then it wasn't lol. The guys introduce a new game: Catholic Word Association. They have some ho-hum answers but some that get them all riled up that they discuss for a while. A wid...

The Johnny Manziel documentary just came out. Kathryn is a fan of Johnny. Taylor can't stand him! They discuss a plethora of topics surrounding this Texas A&M College Football star, his rise, fall & how we are left to sort through the wreckage. While Johnny is the impetus for our conversation, we discuss topics from a Catholic point of view like tribalism, sports, consequences for our acti...

Guest Cohost Chris Bartlett joins Taylor to discuss the frustration of not being given parameters within which to work, how that works when they're invited to speak somewhere & topics they typically don't share about. For example, Taylor doesn't usually speak about Mary because it isn't his strongest topic, but he tests out some new material on Chris to see if he should expand his horizons or...

Our 350th Episode Live from Fr. Anthony's Rectory! They discuss a fancy candlelit Mass that Taylor attended & Fr. Anthony's parish. They have a conversation about fancy Churches, prayer entrapment & the grace of ordination. They also have a long awaited conversation about the morality of the zombie apocalypse! What would you do!?!? Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each epi...

Liv Harrison makes her triumphant return after taking a break from the show for a year! She & Taylor share about the best things that have happened in her life over the past year in our Chicken Soup for the Schroll segment. Next, Taylor shares his newest obsession in an app that allows you to text with Jesus, Mary & other biblical characters through the magic of Chat GPT. He & Liv ask...

Taylor kicks off the show by asking Kathryn about her history with sports. They discuss how to break a slump in sports and what that teaches us about breaking slumps in our faith. Kathryn also gives the best sports team name of all time! Next, they play the faith based version of the alphabet game. They attempt to have discussions about faith topics with every alternating sentences that have to st...

Fr. Anthony is back from a well-deserved family vacation and joins Taylor to share about the important of rejuvenation, especially for priests. He talks about how changing up the normal routine, spending time with family and simplifying life is good. Taylor shares about a recent Sunday gospel that he struggled with. Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden light, but it often feels heavy. He sha...

Allison did her homework from a few episodes ago & took the spiritual gifts assement. Taylor guesses what her results were before she reveals her top 6 gifts that God has given her. It leads to a good conversation about using our gifts to build the kingdom, dusting off some unused gifts and finding our place in the Church community. In the second segment, Taylor talks with Nick Senz who compar...

In this episode, we learn that regular Kathryn, lake Kathryn & summer Kathryn are VERY different people. She & Taylor discuss attempting to slow down during the summer months, bingeing on every aspect of life in an attempt to find some semblance of balance & share their very different workout routines (who's surprised?) Kathryn shares about getting ready to send 3 kids off to college t...

Fr. Will Rooney rejoins Taylor in the studio to discuss his new assignment as a first time pastor. Fr. Will has been the associate pastor at Taylor's parish for a year. They talk about his going away party that was thrown for him by the pastor that was really special. It was an evening where everyone was invited to share how Fr. Will had been a father to them during his time at the parish. Taylor...

Allison led a group of Pilgrims through the steps of St. Paul on a river cruise through Greece. She shares how they visited a ton of sites you've heard about in the Scriptures and reveals whether her thoughts on St. Paul have changed or not. She also shares one of the most wild and random takes we've ever heard on the show that simply floors Taylor. Taylor recounts a story of him hosting trivia an...

In an episode filled with laughter & new nicknames, Taylor & Fr. Anthony kick off the episode by talking about this weekend's celebration of Father's Day. Taylor shares a Catechism passage that may be the most dads have ever been represented by the Church. He also shares one of the strangest moral conundrums he has ever had as a Father that happened this past week. The show continues with...

We're back! After taking the week off for family vacation, Taylor is back with Kathryn Whitaker. She just had multiple graduations in her family so she shares about the excitement and emotions of the past few weeks. Taylor relays how his family vacation went and how it reminded him of the importance of slowing down and reconnecting with what matters. To close the show, Taylor & Kathryn both sh...

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 segmen...