Inside the Creation of 'On Eagle's Wings': Archival Notes and Father Joncas' Musical Legacy
Longevity in church music is notoriously unpredictable. Thousands of liturgical songs published in the wake of 1970s acoustic folk revivals disappeared from circulation within a decade, dated by thin arrangements or sentimental prose. Father Michael Joncas’ composition avoided that fate by tying itself directly to the poetic weight of ancient biblical literature.
Fifty years after its first performance at an unheralded funeral Mass in Saint Paul, the hymn maintains an unshakeable presence across church services and civic rituals. By taking the vulnerability of personal loss and lifting it through the steady promises of Psalm 91, the piece continues to fulfill its original purpose: giving communities the words and melody to grieve without losing hope.
