February 8, 2024 - Reported [here] Canton, Ohio – More healings are being reported at a local house connected with a woman who lived there and is being investigated by the Roman Catholic Diocese for sainthood.

“There’s truly no explanation for his recovery,” said Betsy Dvorak.

The miraculous events began back in 1939 when a humble woman named Rhoda Wise lived in the three room “depression shack” located at 2337 25th St. NE in Canton.

Rhoda and her husband George had suffered many hardships, including losing a child. They were raising a beloved adopted daughter when Rhoda was diagnosed with cancer and a lethal infection caused by the removal of a 39-pound tumor.

It was a time before antibiotics and doctors sent her home to die.

“So, she prayed because that’s all she could do,” said Karen Sigler, General Manager at the non-profit Rhoda Wise Home & Grotto.

Prayers she says were answered by Jesus and St. Therese, known as the Little Flower of Jesus for promising to send a shower of roses from heaven.

“Jesus came and sat in the chair by her bed. She asked him “Have you come for me? And he said no, your time hasn’t come yet,” said Sigler, “A month later he returned with St. Therese and she was the one who put her hands on Rhoda’s abdomen and her abdomen was completely healed.”

A malformed foot was also healed.

Rhoda then developed stigmata, what many Christians believe is the spontaneous bleeding on the body corresponding with the crucifixion wounds of Jesus.

For more than 2 years, Sigler says she bled profusely from her head, hands and feet, but she never complained about the suffering.

She accepted it so that others might be healed.

As word spread, large crowds flocked to the home and were photographed there hoping to witness one of the “heavenly visits” which continued up until her death in 1948.

Photographs taken at the time and witnesses reported seeing an unexplained bright light pouring from the home and rose petals left with an image of St. Therese.

The petals, bandages from stigmata, and the chair where they said Jesus sat are all on display at the home.

Now over 75 years since Rhoda’s death, the faithful continue to flock there hoping for their own miracles.

“During one of the visits Jesus blessed the water (in a large jug) and had told Rhoda that those that use this water would be rewarded for their faith,” said Sigler.

There have been countless cures documented, says Sigler which continue to this day from minor to truly miraculous.

Karen can’t share all of them because in 2017 the Diocese of Youngstown declared Rhoda a “Servant of God” which is a step towards canonization and sainthood.

As such, the documents have been sent to Rome to be vetted and can’t be discussed.

However, Dr. Mark Shoag and his wife Betsy Dvorak shared their incredible experience with Fox 8’s Suzanne Stratford.

“Truthfully, just as a doctor I felt there’s no way I’m getting out of this hospital,” said Dr. Shoag, “I was having a hard time breathing, I couldn’t walk…”

Dr. Shoag was diagnosed with stage 4 sarcoma.

Every doctor gave him only 6 months to live.

“He had 48 tumors,” said Betsy who’s also a respiratory therapist, “Forty tumors in his lung and the remaining tumors were in his liver and once you get tumors in the liver, they only have months to live.”

The couple sought help at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York where doctors removed the largest tumor from his liver which was 10cm by 12cm.

But he was still in incredible pain and the situation looked dire.

“I can’t tell you how bad I was,” said Dr. Shoag.

That’s when a friend told his wife about Rhoda Wise.

“He was so ill. I couldn’t physically bring him down here, but I brought a piece of his clothing down here, and I put it in the chair Jesus sat in,” said Betsy.

And she says something miraculous happened.

Mark had not gotten out of bed in four months but suddenly wanted to go to the grocery store and even walked by himself.

Then Mark made the trip to Canton himself.

Now six years later, Dr. Shoag is defying the odds.

“Literally it was miraculous,” said Betsy, “He’s doing great, he’s receiving treatment and he’s happy.”

“I am six years later,” said Dr. Shoag, “My lungs are stable, the only place I have a tumor left is the liver. And I don’t know if I’d be here if I didn’t go to Rhoda Wise. I mean to me it’s been a miracle.”

Andrea Kissel-Conti also told Fox 8 how she had visited the home when she was 5 years old with an incurable kidney disease.

“I had a vision of St. Therese, and she was saying to me in a little while, tell them you’re going to get better in a little while, tell them you’re going to get better, and she was smiling and the whole time there were rose petals just falling,” said Andrea, “And I’ve never had to go to the doctor with any kidney disease at all ever.”

Another woman, Bobbi McKnight, was suffering from debilitating double vision which vanished.

When she went to her doctor she said, “He goes ‘HMMMPF! You can see!’ I said yea I can. He said, ‘What happened?’ And I told him, and he said, ‘Yea I believe in miracles.’”

The non-profit home is always free to visit and open to everyone regardless of their faith.

Karen says not everyone who comes is healed, and some are healed without even asking but all are welcome.

“It’s true we get to see the goodness of God over and over and over again,” said Sigler.

For more information on the home [click here].