时代的因缘际会，颜“伯伯”（中外的熟朋友们都喜欢称呼他为〝Pepe〞）的黄金岁月都奉献给了菲律宾。要理讲授和培训师资，以及撰写相关的教材，是他的所学和所发挥的专长。1960年，为马尼拉29所公立中学开设“宗教课”的计画──从无到有、找钱找人、办培训、写教材、说服各级教育主管等──只不过是冲劲十足一年轻神父的初试啼声。
在梵二大公会议沸扬声中的1962年，马尼拉总主教桑多斯枢机（Cardinal Santos）要他设立一所全教区的要理学院，并担任院长。颜神父以一贯语带幽默的口气回忆道：“你要把整体计画呈给主教，而且跟主教说，〝钱的事情，您不要担心！〞”。
二次大战后的西班牙派遣来华的第一批传教士──颜哲泰神父一行五人（当时均为“大修士”，包括赖甘霖）于1947年12月23日抵达上海。这是二战后，由西班牙派遣来华的第一批传教士。由于战乱，预定两年的专务研习中文，多半消耗在避难奔波的路途上。如果，有人至今仍苛责赖甘霖神父的中文程度，务必要把当年大环境制约的因素算进去。何况，他说的中文，要比颜神父好很多。
在这些“牛刀小试”的基础上，他和前辈名师等五人小组于1965年共同创办的“东亚牧灵学院”（EAPI），遂行梵二教会大改革的契机，将新观念、新作风务实地传授给涵盖整个东亚地区－－从巴基斯坦、印度，直到大洋洲中名不经传的小岛－－天主教会的精英骨干，也就顺理成章了。
颜神父生命中精华的25个年头，在EAPI的各个项目计画和训练课程中，淋漓尽致地发挥。台北牧灵中心的创办和经营，也受了EAPI的启发。当年在台湾牧灵工作上颇负盛名的郭彬生主任，也曾于1980年到EAPI进修七个月。
从1985到1994年，颜神父受命转换跑道－－从马尼拉襄助全球耶稣会士关怀中国的使徒工作（DCA）。定期出刊〝Correspondence〞（通讯）杂志，报导中国教会的近况动态。每年组团前往中国旅行访问，传递讯息、支援（书籍、金钱……）当地“百般待举”的苦难教会，做了许多“只能做、不能说的工作”。马尼拉总主教辛海绵枢机（Cardinal Sinn）代表梵蒂冈教廷，于1987年11月正式访问中国的所谓中梵关系“破冰之旅”，由共产中国的总理赵紫阳官式接待，是颜神父工作的重大成就之一。由于辛枢机是他多年的“把臂”（buddy）之交（有照片为证），行前的筹划、全程的参予、和详实的记录，都是不可多得的史料。
与前马可仕总统家族间的互动，更能突显颜“伯伯”乃是当年菲律宾各界一个响叮当字号的人物。熟朋友口耳相传，颜神父是马可仕总统的“家庭神师”。他一贯地低调回应－－只不过有两次应邀，给马可仕内阁的阁员们领避静罢了。然而，EAPI在Ateneo大学校园内的大楼于1968年4月1日落成启用，受派前去总统府迎接马可仕夫人来剪彩，沿途来回跟着她风光地受欢迎的场景，他却津津乐道。
到高雄四维文教院（1994~2003）和迄今在辅大神学院，岁月催人老，生活由绚烂归而归于平静。历练于“持平心”的神操，依然乐活在每一个当下。倾听和关怀周遭前来寻求长者人生智慧的每一个人－－包括，内心仍然忐忑挣扎中的初学修士、神修小会高雄分会的会员和他们的家庭成员，适时地给予一个简短而温馨的建议－－非常包容，但绝不“和稀泥”。
“伯伯”的精彩人生，我们仍然期待，散布各处的“碎片”能早日聚拢，以拼凑出一幅更清晰的美丽图像。毕竟，上主愿意让祂的忠仆，仍在人世间生活时，领受一份小小的奖赏和掌声的鼓励，也算是合乎人情的祈求吧。
附件为一首英文的诗作〝My Friend Pepe Calle, S.J.〞，By Ms. Sonia Roco，是为庆祝颜神父85岁生日而写的。我认为，内容和文体仍适合目前的场合。
My Friend Pepe Calle, S.J.
When your mother held you in her arms
Did she know of God’s loving plan ?
Did she hear the beating of the drums
That one day you will leave behind your happy clan
March on to offer yourself at thirty-one
To be a priest of God
Always ready to obey, and shed blood
Till today, October 1, at age eighty-five ?
Nobody ever knows
The design of God’s plan for us
We discover it as it grows
And unfolds slowly as a mystery does.
So was it with Pepe Calle’s life
Full of surprises, full of adventure.
First assigned to teach at Sto. Domingo site
Then suddenly was changed to venture
As a young missionary to China.
“How can that be ?” he asked.
This cannot be final.
Take off your masks
Tell me why.
Do I have a say ?
No ! All you have to do is obey.
From that first act of total obedience
Flowed the blessings of experience
Which began to test, then enrich
This young priest so much
That at 85 and still going strong
With God’s abiding love, nothing will go wrong.
China in the year ’47 was his first destination.
But in ’49 the Mao-Tse-Tung won.
Imprisoned and tortured were fellow Chinese Jesuits.
Missionaries of Christ’s light
Willing to die, unceasing prayer
Were their weapons to fight
For the Faith so deeply rooted
They couldn’t be booted.
Though persecuted, they persevered
As martyrs, greatly admired, supremely revered.
Only God knows His plan for His beloved Pepe.
In ’52 from China he was expelled
Sent to the Philippines where he excelled.
Ordained in the City of Pines
He met Fr. Nolan, the Columbans, the SCANs
Worked and inspired so many of the youth with his zeal.
All for God’s glory, it was real.
He formed CCP to train catechists for the public schools
Then with a formidable team
Set up the East Asia Pastoral Institute
Prepared and provided the needed tools
Wrote the modules for long-term use.
For thirty two productive years
He gave his all, blood sweat and tears
To the youth, teachers of religion
Here and in all of the Asian region.
Then as times went by
Pepe had to say good-bye
To many many dear and treasured friends
Whose lives he has touched.
Even to those who had hurt him, & need to do amends.
He was missed much ……..
But God’s plan for him was to go back where he began
Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.
Like God’s soldier, in humble obedience
Another 15 years of new challenges and inconvenience
He offered before the Lord.
Pepe’s faith deepened by the year
The Lord’s prayer was his strongest sword
To reach and bless the hearts and minds of those
Who have not heard of God’s living word.
At 85, he said with great pride,
“Where I am now and what I am is because of my obedience
To God’s will. Not my will, but yours be done.”
His mother may not have known
God’s loving plan for her son Pepe
85 years ago, but now she knows.
Her son is God’s beloved,
Like Jesus, a priest forever.
What a great gift was your birth !
What a wonderful offering.
Let all the bells ring
For joy and with mirth
Be happy, be grateful. Rejoice !
For Pepe’s gift of life
Was and is a gift to us all.
Alleluia ! Alleluia ! Alleluia !
10/15/07
your friend, Sonia Roco
作者┃范京生
