Frank Richardson is allergic to crabs, but "I get excited when I see people cracking them," he said.
There was plenty of cracking going on at SS Philip and James Catholic Church in Charles Village on Oct. 7, as more than 200 people turned out for the parish's first-ever crab feast.
More than a fundraiser, it was a coming-out party for a church that has made big changes since last summer, when the Archdiocese of Baltimore asked the Dominican Order to run the parish and integrate Johns Hopkins University's Homewood campus ministry.
Now, The Rev. Carleton Jones is celebrating his first anniversary as pastor, assisted by the Rev. David Mott, Catholic chaplain at Hopkins, and the Rev. Carlos Quijano, associate Catholic chaplain. All three are members of the Dominican Friars of St. Joseph Province, which has experience in leading parishes near college campuses.
Jones, 68, came from St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in New York City. He succeeded longtime Philip and James pastor the Rev. William Au, who now leads Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church in Mount Washington.
Jones, Mott and Quijano have taken responsibility for a parish that now includes 150 Hopkins students in addition to 500-600 parishioners. The church has added a 5 p.m. Sunday Mass for students, and a student center with weekly Bible study classes in the church building, 2801 N. Charles St.
"They're very self-motivated and alive to their faith," Quijano said.
Longtime parishioners like Donna DeBarge are embracing the changes in leadership and membership.
"I feel like it's more of a community," said DeBarge, 63, of Remington, who was baptized at Philip and James and graduated from the old church school.
They also like new church fundraisers like Friday night's crab feast, with 20 bushels of crabs for 225 people, according to office manager Dee Dee Clark..
Frank Richardson remembered a jazz night once but never a crab feast.
"I think we're going to make a little money on this," said Richardson, 38, of Charles Village, a Hopkins security officer who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in September's Democratic primary.
"But that's secondary. The main goal is to bring people together and have a good time."