Father Michael Joncas ’75, retired professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, looks back on the history of “On Eagle’s Wings” in a National Catholic Reporter article. The original piece was composed for his friend Douglas Hall after his father passed away in 1975, but it has developed a greater meaning for grief around the world.
The lyrics were inspired by Psalm 91, which depicts wing-related imagery and offers comfort and assurance of God’s protection during times of fear or grief.
The song was published by North American Liturgy Resources and spread through the U.S., resonating with military sectors, Native American communities and countries around the nation. The song has been translated into Catalan, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.
Joncas recognized the impact of his composition when former President Joe Biden quoted the piece, speaking to the various interpretations of comfort.
Music had always been a staple in Joncas’ life, stemming from his mother’s background as a lyric soprano and his father’s background in technical theater.
When his family moved to St. Charles Borromeo, his interest in music grew along with him, guiding Joncas toward piano lessons, choir groups and liturgical music.
In 2003, Joncas was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. With physical complications regarding his voice and ability to play the guitar, his illness shifted the perspective of music and ministry.
During the pandemic, he composed another piece called “Shelter Me,” inspired by Psalm 23. The passage speaks on the relationship between the divine and humans, with a primary focus on shepherds and flock.
From the article:
The verses came directly from Psalm 91, long familiar to him through compline, or night prayer, in the Liturgy of the Hours. “I prayed Psalm 91 for years,” he said. “That text seemed to be deeply consoling to me.”
At the time, grief surrounded Joncas personally as well. His sister, Babette, who had lived with physical difficulties throughout her life, had recently died in her early 20s.
Beyond personal loss, America itself felt fractured, he said, with the Vietnam War, civil rights struggles and social upheaval.
“There was a sense of grieving over the direction the United States was going,” he said. The refrain of “On Eagle’s Wings” did not come directly from a single biblical passage but from combined scriptural images. The hymn was first performed at the wake service for Hall’s father in Omaha in April 1976 and then again the following day at the funeral Mass as the responsorial song.
He could not have imagined what would follow, he said.
The first major turning point came when North American Liturgy Resources, a small publishing company, accepted the song for publication and recording in 1979. Soon afterward, “On Eagle’s Wings” appeared in Glory and Praise, a hymnal that spread rapidly through Catholic parishes in the United States in the post–Vatican II era.
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