Father Jan Michael Joncas
Inducted 2023
Father Jan Michael Joncas was a priest in the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis. He was a Liturgical Theologian and composer of contemporary Catholic music, most notably known for his composition “On Eagle’s Wings”. In fact, this song has been selected in Memorial Services for victims of 9/11 and the Oklahoma City Bombing. A native of Northeast Minneapolis and of of Polish descent, Joncas was the eldest of eight children and attended high school at The Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary. While he never learned to dance well, it was clear even in high school his musical talents soared above those of his classmates. In an era when most students were struggling to learn chords on the guitar and sing in key, there were quite a few good musicians at the school… a handful of excellent ones, and then … light years beyond the others … there was this smiling, good-natured kid named Mike Joncas who could sing the socks off of anyone. Fr. Joncas went on to attend The St. John Vianney Seminary at The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 1975. He received an MA in Liturgy from The University of Notre Dame in 1978. He was ordained in 1980 and taught at The University of St Thomas. Michael composed his first liturgical song, “Singing In The Light” in 1968. Since then he has composed and recorded 25 collections of liturgical music. In addition to “On Eagles Wings”, a few of his compositions are: “Every Stone Shall Cry”, “O Joyful Light”, “Winter Name of God”, “Sing Praise and Thanksgiving”, “We Come To Your Feast”, and “In The Sight of Angels”. His music has had a great influence upon the worship at Catholic and other churches. Fr. Joncas has achieved many awards, some of which are: The Distinguished Alumnus Award from The University of St. Thomas in 1995, Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Liturgical Music from The Oregon Catholic Press in 2003, The Achievement Award from The National Association of Pastoral Musicians in 2007, and The Touchstone Award from the National Federation of Priests’ Councils in 2013. When Father Jan Michael Joncas received the University of St. Thomas Distinguished Educator Award in 1995, he surprised most everyone with a personal confession made toward the end of his acceptance speech. “I have always wanted to dance” he told the audience. “But those who know me well know that this ungainly Polish body will never have the athletic grace of a Rudolf Nureyev or a Mikhail Baryshnikov; I always will be fated to flounder like Barney the Purple Dinosaur”! In 2003, the St. Thomas priest, theologian, author, and composer wasn’t so worried about dancing- he would have welcomed the ability just to blink his eyes. During Holy Week in 2003, Joncas was struck with a severe case of neurological disease Guillain-Barré Syndrome. He was teaching that semester at The University of Notre Dame and noticed his first symptoms while celebrating the Holy Thursday liturgy. At first, it was unusual sweating and a strange feeling in his feet. Then he noticed that he lacked the strength to lift the chalice as high as usual during Mass. Within a week, although his mind was sound and thinking was clear, he was trapped in a thoroughly paralyzed body. If not for a ventilator and other life-support gear, he would have died. The residual affects of the disorder still prevent him from playing guitar- the instrument on which he composed “On Eagles Wings”. In 2020, he released a prayer-song called “Shelter Me”, reaching across denominational lines, designed to bring comfort during the pandemic. Fr. Joncas has retired from full-time Ministry, but he plans on continuing to teach, write articles and books, and compose music. In 2021, President Joe Biden referenced a Father John Michael Joncas song in his acceptance speech for President of The United States of America, quoting “On Eagle’s Wings”.
