Jan Michael Joncas (born December 21, 1951) is a

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis,

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and composer of

contemporary Catholic music Contemporary Catholic liturgical music encompasses a comprehensive variety of styles of music for Catholic liturgy that grew both before and after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). The dominant style in English-speaking Canad ...

best known for his hymn " On Eagle's Wings".

Biography

Joncas was raised in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, of

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

descent, attending

Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary (known also as Naz Hall) was a high school seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota serving the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It was founded in 1923 by Archbishop Austin Dowling and was closed in 1971, be ...

and St. John Vianney Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, earning a bachelor's degree in English there in 1975. Joncas composed the hymn he is best known for, " On Eagle's Wings", following the death of a friend's father in the late 1970s. It has since been quoted by Joe Biden and covered by

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...

. He received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree in liturgy from the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

in 1978 and went on to study at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, earning both his licentiate and

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

degrees there. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1980, by Archbishop John Roach. Following this, he taught at the University of St. Thomas, at the University of Notre Dame, and summer courses at the Saint John's School of Theology, also serving as a weekend assistant at parishes throughout the Archdiocese. In 2003, Joncas was diagnosed with

Guillain–Barré syndrome Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. Typically, both sides of the body are involved, and the initial symptoms are changes in sensation or pain oft ...

after noticing he lacked the strength to elevate the chalice at

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

. The residual effects of the disorder still prevent him from playing guitar, the instrument on which he composed "On Eagle's Wings". In 2022, Joncas retired from active ministry and teaching but intends to keep writing music.

Discography

* ''Singing In the Light'' (1968) * ''On Eagles' Wings'' (1979; featuring "On Eagle's Wings") * ''Every Stone Shall Cry'' * ''Here In Our Midst'' * ''O Joyful Light'' * ''I Have Loved You'' * ''Praise God in Song'' * ''No Greater Love Mass'' * ''Winter Name of God'' (1988) * ''God of Life and of the Living'' * ''Sing Praise and Thanksgiving'' * ''Come to Me'' * ''Mass for John Carroll'' * ''Psallite Mass'' * ''We Come to Your Feast'' * ''A Voice Cries Out'' * ''As the Deer'' * ''God of Life Be Praised'' * ''In the Sight of Angels'' (2008) * ''Christ Be Near'' (2009). shelter me (2020)

Published Works

* Preaching the Rites of Christian Initiation, Forum Essays 4 (Chicago, IL: Liturgy Training Publications, 1994). * The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Liturgy and Sacraments (San Jose, CA: Resource Publications, 1995). * From Sacred Song to Ritual Music: Twentieth Century Understandings of Roman Catholic Worship Music (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997). * Co-author with Fr. Michael Driscoll, The Order of Mass: A Roman Missal Study Edition and Workbook (Chicago, IL: Liturgy Training Publications, 2011). * Within Our Hearts Be Born. The Michael Joncas Hymnary: Advent and Christmas (Portland, OR: Oregon Catholic Press, 2013) * We Contemplate the Mystery.The Michael Joncas Hymnary: Lent and Triduum (Portland, OR: Oregon Catholic Press, 2015).

References

External links

Oregon Catholic Press: Artists & Events: Artists: Michael Joncas
(biography)
GIA Publications: J. Michael Joncas
(biography)

(biography) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Joncas, Michael 1951 births American Roman Catholic priests Composers of Christian music Contemporary Catholic liturgical music Living people University of Notre Dame faculty People with Guillain–Barré syndrome Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Biography

Discography

Published Works

See also

References

External links