Artist Illustrator of the Books

Biography of Sr. María de Jesús Sacramentado

Sr. María de Jesús Sacramentado (María Graciela Riera) was born on September 14th, 1970 in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina. She studied Fine Arts at the Versatile Art Center of San Rafael, obtaining the title of National Drawing Teacher. In addition, within the same city, she studied in the Faculty of National Art, obtaining the title of professor of painting.

At the conclusion of her studies, she entered the Institute of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word in 1990. She did her religious formation in the city of San Rafael and there carried out her apostolate as a religious during the first years of her consecration. In the year 1999, she was sent to Italy to study in the Pontifical Universities. She studied Cultural Assets and Church History in the Pontifical Gregorian University, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Church History. She was professor in our Houses of Formation and in the Center for Higher Studies in Segni, Italy.

In 2005 she was sent once again to the Province of Argentina in order to dedicate herself to teaching in our schools and in a tertiary school under the care of our Institute in the city of San Rafael, as well as in the houses of religious formation of the same Institute.

She is the author of numerous works of religious art that mainly adorn our distinct communities dispersed throughout the world. We will only point out the carving of a few tabernacles, such as those in our feminine monasteries in San Rafael, Pontinia (Italy) and Albania; the painting of medallions with the 12 Apostles for the parish of the Good Shepherd in Chile, the design of numerous chapels of our communities, of which it is worth mentioning the chapel of the first novitiate of the Servidoras completely dedicated to St. Joseph.

She has given numerous conferences in our houses of formation and schools as well as in the university courses which take place annually in San Rafael.

Through the express request of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and with the end of honoring the Virgin of Luján, Patroness and Queen of the entire Religious Family of the Incarnate Word, she dedicated herself exclusively during a few months in Rome to the realization  of oil paintings depicting different episodes related with the history and devotion to the Virgin of Luján, in order to illustrate the books that were being prepared for printing as a part of the “Project of Our Lady of Luján”, whose principle purpose is to promote and spread devotion to our Patroness. For its realization, it was mainly based on the events narrated in the work of Fr. Salvaire, in which each of its chapters has a painting by Sr. Sacramentado. In addition, as part of the project, she made a beautiful life size oil painting to portray the emblematic figure of Negrito Manuel, the faithful slave of Mary, with the goal of making known his hidden life given to the selfless service toward the great Lady who rewards with holiness those who sincerely and absolutely give themselves to her as her slaves of love.