Fr. Mario Malacrida  My name is Mario Malacrida, I belong to the institute of the Comboni Missionaries. I was born 48 years ago in Italy. I completed my theological studies in Chicago at Catholic Theological Union and I was ordained priest in 1987. After serving for few years in Italy I spent about 10 years in North Uganda as responsible for one of our mission there. Summer 2002 I was called back to Chicago responsible for our formation house in Hyde Park. Since I arrived in Chicago I have been in contact with the reality of the Peace Corner “from the side line” … if I can say it like that… As much as my commitment as formation director would allow me to be present at the Center. Wednesday became the day which I would spend at The Peace Corner, observing, learning, and just ‘being there’. And with small steps I have come to appreciate and share into the vision and mission of what the Peace Corner stands for. So I have to confess that I felt honored when at the beginning of 2009 I was asked to take up the position of Executive Director and so to make myself fully involved not anymore from the side line but in the field, fully sharing time and energy with the young people at the Center.
Charlie Annerino  My name is Charlie Annerino, assistant director at The Peace Corner. I graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI in 2007. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, so as you can assume, I love the White Sox. I began working at The Peace Corner as the program director in August 2008 through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is one of the largest volunteer organizations in the United States. The program is centered around social justice, simple living, spirituality, and community. It has been wonderful to be involved in a place that is so committed to the youth of Chicago. If you’ve never been to The Peace Corner, we’d love to have you stop by sometime. Help with homework, play ping pong, or just hang out with the guys. Our doors are always open!
Erica Mawbey-Lance  Hi, my name is Erica Mawbey-Lance. This past June I graduated from Santa Clara University in California. I majored in Political Science and Art History. My hometown is Edmonds Washington, just north of Seattle. This year I am a part of Jesuit Volunteer Corps and started working at The Peace Corner through JVC this August. I am very excited to be a member of the staff at The Peace Corner and for the upcoming year. I look forward to meeting many more youths in the area and anticipate a great year here! Marquin Gooden  Hi my name is Marquin Gooden. I have been part of the Peace Corner for the past seven years in various ways. At first the center was a place to hang out and stay out of trouble: it grew to much more! At the Peace Corner the staff is like family with Fr.Maurizio at the head of the table. During the years I accomplished a lot of things at the center. For example I was the first one to receive his GED by attending the GED course at the center in 2004. After that I trained and worked as an electrician for more than two years. I can certainly relate to the problems and issues of many of the youth around here because I myself came a long way. In fact I remember when I was very young standing at street corners doing something I was not supposed to do. I also remember how Fr. Maurizio used to get on my case every morning while driving to those corners and speaking with me and the other guys. He used to tell us that there was certainly something better for us to do with our lives and that we could always count on the Peace Corner if we wanted to turn our lives around. I listened to him, I left the street corners alone and I begun to get involved with the Peace Corner. That is how I got my education and I begun working as an electrician. Now I am back at the center as staff member trying to help out all the youth who come to our door and here I am now, years later trying to reach out to all the youth in our community and assure them that they can always count on me and on the Peace Corner if they need anything. I feel privileged to be working at the Peace Corner also because of the trust Fr. Maurizio has in me and I will try my best to be a positive role model for all our youth. By the way, if you have some time, please come and visit us!
Leroy Clay  My name is Leroy Clay. I was born and raised in the Austin community and as a teenager fell victim to the negative things that took place in my area. I have now changed my life around and want to help the youth that are being misguided. I will let them know what I have experienced and show them that a person can change. I will also show them that there are people that want to help them, especially here at The Peace Corner. Most of the youth know me from the neighborhood and notice the positive change that I have made. Hopefully I can convince them to make that same change.
FOUNDER and Former Executive Director
Fr. Maurizio Binaghi
 Fr. Maurizio Binaghi, PhD, MA, M Div. is a Catholic priest and belongs to the Comboni Missionaries an international Missionary Order. He holds a PhD in Education from the Catholic University of Milan and a teacher certificate. He taught in public high school in Italy for five years and was assistant principal for two. He also holds a Master of Arts in Cross Culture and a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. In Italy while teaching he worked extensively with at risk youth before living for some time some time in Kenya, at first among the Maasai tribe and then working in one of the slums of Nairobi, the capital city. In Nairobi he worked with street children and with at risk youth. Fr. Maurizio came to Chicago in 1994 and he begun working at the Juvenile Detention Center with incarcerated youth. During those years he formed a support group for African American youth released from the various detention centers. He also volunteers at cook County jail in Chicago. In 1998 The Comboni Missionaries asked him to go back to Italy and work with immigrant from Africa. He was stationed in Brescia a big city East of Milan with a very high immigrant’s population. There he founded a Not for profit corporation to assist African immigrants and opened a transition House for them: the Abraham’s Tent which up to today has served more than 2,000 immigrants. In 2001 he was reassigned back to the USA and to Chicago. It is here that in 2001 he founded the Peace Corner as a youth center for at risk youth on Chicago’s West Side. In a short time the Peace Corner has established itself as one of the leading youth agencies in the Austin community providing a great variety of services and program to underprivileged youth on the West side. Fr. Maurizio has done extensive research work on African American history and spirituality with special attention to the slavery period and to the Civil Rights movement. Presently Fr. Maurizio is the Executive Director of the Peace Corner youth center and the CEO of the Peace Corner INC. a not for profit corporation. In addition is the associate pastor at St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church in the Austin community. |
Staff Bios