Michael Joncas

Jan Michael Joncas (born December 21st 1951) is a priest, liturgical theologian, and composer of contemporary Catholic music. Joncas's most popular song is "On Eagles' Wings." He received an MA in liturgy from the University of Notre Dame in 1978 and went on to study at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome. He was ordained in 1980, and teaches at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota), at the University of Notre Dame, and summer courses at the Saint John's School of Theology - Seminary (Collegeville, Minnesota).

Michael Joncas's compositions are representative of the more popular style of music that has appeared in American Catholic parishes in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.

Fr. Joncas has stated that his preference for the title would be "On Eagle's Wings," indicating that the wings belong to a single eagle which is metaphorically related to God, but he said he could make an argument for "On Eagles' Wings," indicating that wings belong to many eagles, since there would be many eagles needed to lift up the multiple people in covenant with God.

Discography

• "Singing In the Light" (1968)
• "On Eagles' Wings" (1979)
• "Every Stone Shall Cry"
• "Here In Our Midst"
• "O Joyful Light"
• "Praise God in Song"
• "No Greater Love"
• "Winter Name of God" (1988)
• "God of Life and of the Giving"
• "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)

"Singing In the Light" is a rare private press folk album highly sought after by collectors.

Selected Songs

• "Take and Eat" (1989)
• "On Eagles' Wings" (1979)
• "I Have Loved You" (1979)
• "We Come to Your Feast"

and many others...

His music in contemporary culture

Michael Joncas is one of many musicians who compose contemporary Catholic liturgical music. This music has enjoyed widespread success throughout the English speaking world. There have also been a number of controversies surrounding this music.

On Eagles' Wings was played at many of the 9/11 memorial services, and was sung by a former Miss America at the memorial service for the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing.^{[citation needed]} It was also widely heard when Michael Crawford chose it as the theme for one of his most recognized concerts that was later broadcast on television and sold as tapes and CDs.

See also

• St. Louis Jesuits
• Marty Haugen
• Dan Schutte

External links

• Oregon Catholic Press Bio
• GIA Music Bio
• University of St. Thomas, Faculty Page

Persondata
Name	Joncas, Michael
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Date of birth	1951
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