The Building Texas Show has released Episode 2 of The Cavallini Legacy, hosted by Justin McKenzie, offering an inside look at the 18-month build process for a handcrafted stained glass window at Cavallini & Co., a Texas-based studio with over 70 years of experience. Published May 27, 2026, the episode arrives as houses of worship increasingly seek authentic, artisan-crafted sacred art for restoration and new construction projects.
The discussion explores how themes are developed in dialogue with parishioners, often tracing narratives from the Old Testament to the New Testament, including Creation, Moses, the Nativity, Resurrection, and Ascension. It also uncovers the hidden structural engineering within each panel, such as the rebars that transfer weight to the frame, preventing the glass and lead from bowing under its own weight. Mr. Cavallini and his son Adrian emphasize that patience and craft are inseparable from sacred art, contrasting the modern pace of design with the time-intensive nature of their work.
A centerpiece of the episode is the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary commission in Houston, where a natural gas explosion destroyed the original church and claimed a parishioner's life. Cavallini had purchased the Mysteries of the Rosary windows from the Diocese of Beaumont 18 years earlier after they were salvaged from St. Mary's Catholic Church in Port Arthur following Hurricane Rita. The studio is now creating the Luminous Mysteries to blend with the existing set, completing a cycle that spans generations of Texas congregations.
McKenzie reflects on the broader implications, stating, 'Employees coming in here working on a project that might take a year and a half to complete because it is detail-oriented or it's 50,000 square feet of mosaic that takes detail and time. It's not AI is going to create it in 30 seconds and here it is. And I worry for our economy and our workforce on how do we bring that patience back to something as meaningful as the work you're doing.'
The episode underscores the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship in an era of rapid technological advancement, highlighting how authentic stained glass commissions require deep collaboration, structural expertise, and a commitment to quality that cannot be replicated by AI. For congregations seeking to rebuild or restore their sacred spaces, the message is clear: meaningful art takes time, and the investment yields a legacy that endures.
Episode 2 of The Cavallini Legacy is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
