OLPH’s Friday fish fry drive-thru runs 3 to 7 p.m. through March 27 in Corpus Christi, with delivery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. supporting OLPH Academy.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One of the Coastal Bend’s longest-running Lenten traditions is back in full swing at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where hundreds of volunteers are once again preparing for weeks of Friday fish fry service.

Behind the scenes, organizers say about 200 volunteers help keep the operation running throughout Lent — from cooking shrimp and crab cakes to managing the busy drive-thru lines.

Longtime volunteer Liz Guerra said she’s spent the past several years overseeing the drive-thru effort, building a team that returns year after year without needing to be asked.

“This group has been with me for the past five years, and every year I never have to ask who is going to help,” Guerra said. “They’re calling me to come in and do this volunteer. They love doing the drive thru.”

Guerra said the work is rooted in a sense of service encouraged by church leadership — and in support of the parish’s school.

“Our priest always tells us to give our time, talent and our treasure — so this is my big part that I can do to help out,” she said. “Everything goes to our OLPH Academy, so it’s a good cause. My son went to school there, so that’s a blessing.”

For many families, volunteering has become a generational commitment.

Father-and-son volunteers Nieves and Sebastian Cerda said they’ve been helping with the fish fry together for years — starting when Sebastian was just a child.

“I’ve been volunteering since I was maybe in the fourth grade — cleaning these tables here or throwing the trash out,” Sebastian Cerda said. “Now I’m in the back. I cook the shrimp, the hush puppies and the crab cakes.”

Organizers said the effort is truly a team operation, with volunteers of all ages taking on different roles each week — from front-line service to cooking in the kitchen.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s fish fry drive-thru runs Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. through March 27. Volunteers will also offer delivery on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.