Built by Faith: How One Craftsman Uses His Skills to Glorify God
Story by Jim Tierney
For Omar Acosta, every nail driven and every beam aligned is an act of prayer. A self-employed contractor from Windsor and a third-year candidate in the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Diaconate formation program, Acosta views his craft as a way to glorify God—and to draw others closer to him.
This Advent, parishioners and passersby at Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield will encounter one of Acosta’s most heartfelt creations yet: a handcrafted manger that stands as both an artistic and spiritual expression of love.
“I wanted to build something that pointed people to God,” he says. “Beauty can quietly draw the passerby—even for a moment—that’s what this is about.”
The manger at Sacred Heart is the third one he has built within the archdiocese—following earlier ones at St. Francis Church in New Haven and St. Gabriel Church in Windsor. Each is unique, but all share a singular purpose: to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation with reverence and beauty.
Yet for Acosta, the story begins long before the first piece of wood is cut.
Born and raised in Hartford and a graduate of Prince Tech, Acosta’s childhood was framed by survival and grace.
“My faith is that of a peasant,” he explains. “I didn’t attend Catholic schools or have formal faith formation. But I was blessed with a relationship with God from the time I was 5 or 6. I spent so much time talking to him—it was truly a grace.”
His early years were shaped by hardship—his father’s struggle with addiction and his mother’s quiet, heroic perseverance.
“My mother was the instrument God used in my life,” he says. “She was my hero. She showed us mercy by visiting strangers in nursing homes, just to bring them company. That planted something deep in me.”
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As a teenager, Acosta became an altar server and later a youth minister at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Hartford. A pivotal experience came when he attended the Steubenville retreat, hosted by Franciscan University.
“It was amazing to be surrounded by a couple thousand people in attendance radiating zeal for our living faith,” he says. “My heart caught the scent of something I wanted deeply more of. Soon after, I applied and took a road trip to visit the Steubenville, Ohio, campus. Months later, I was a student there. The greatest gifts that came of it were not even on my radar.”
Now married for 17 years, Omar and his wife, Julie, have five children—Analia, 13; Camila, 11; Mariela, 9; Lucas, 8; and Tobias, 1. Their home life, like his craftsmanship, is rooted in prayer.
“One of my vocations is living the sacrament of matrimony,” he says. “The other is my faith and both are grounded in service.”
That spirit of service has guided his 17 years working with people with disabilities in the Hartford area—helping others live with dignity, joy and faith.
Whether serving others or shaping wood, Acosta finds God in the work of his hands.
“I’m an artisan,” he says simply. “I dream of designing church furnishings, grottos, Stations of the Cross—anything that glorifies God through beauty. The manger is just one small way to offer that.”
As the Christmas season approaches, Acosta hopes his latest creation becomes a place of encounter.
“The idea of being able to build a manger is to capture someone’s mind, eye, and attention,” he adds. “They’re looking up at God whether they know it or not.”