Chaplain of the Basque-American Community, Dedicated
Contributor and Promoter of Basque Heritage
Aita
Martxel Tillous was born in 1934 in the Basque town of
Eskiula in Xiberoa. Following his calling, he entered
the priesthood and began work as a missionary for 26
years in Africa (Ivory Coast). Returning to Europe he
served four years as the Basque chaplain for the Basque
community of Paris. He came to the United States to
serve as chaplain of Basque-Americans in 1994.
Aita Martxel is continuing in the footsteps of earlier
Basque chaplains, and he continues to fulfill an
important role in our Basque-American community. His
ministry as chaplain to the Basques of the United States
has him criss-crossing the country averaging 60,000
miles a year! He spends 200 nights a year sleeping in
his van—with the license plate “Pottoka”—as he travels
from his base in San Francisco, California to the
scattered Basque communities of eleven states of the
American West. His purpose is to serve the spiritual
needs of Basque-Americans: celebrating mass in the
Basque language, baptizing, marrying Basque couples and
consoling the bereaved at funerals.
Our chaplain from Xiberoa is being recognized for both
his spiritual and cultural contributions. An avid
txistulari, Aita Martxel is often seen and heard playing
this ancient Basque flute, or its variation the xirula.
For the last several years he has served as the txistu
instructor at NABOs annual Udaleku (Basque Cultural
Summer Camp) for youth. After a Basque picnic meal, he
is always ready to join in a Basque sing-along. He also
produces a newsletter, “Lokarria”, that goes out to
thousands of Basque-American families thereby bringing
our community closer together.
Aita
Martxel died on March 31st, 2009 in the Basque Country.
