Rhoda Wise

The Mystic of Canton

Rhoda Wise was born on February 22, 1888, in Canton, Ohio. She grew up without any particular religious affiliation and married young. In the 1920s, she was struck by a devastating bone disease that left her bedridden for years, confined to her small home in Canton with little hope of recovery.

In 1936, after years of suffering, Rhoda experienced a miraculous healing. She converted to Catholicism shortly after, attributing her recovery to divine intervention. Her conversion was complete and fervent. She devoted herself entirely to prayer, the sacraments, and service to the visitors who began coming to her home.

Beginning in 1939, Rhoda reported regular visions of Jesus and St. Therese of Lisieux. The visions continued for the remaining nine years of her life. On Good Friday 1942, the stigmata appeared on her forehead, and by 1943 the wounds had manifested on her hands and feet as well. Church authorities investigated the phenomena carefully, and her spiritual director maintained detailed records.

Among those who visited Rhoda Wise was a young woman named Rita Rizzo, who suffered from a severe stomach ailment. Rita credited her healing to Rhoda’s intercession. That young woman went on to become Mother Angelica, the founder of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the largest religious media network in the world.

Rhoda Wise died on July 7, 1948, in Canton. More than 14,000 people visited her bier in the days following her death. On October 7, 2016, Bishop George Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown formally opened her cause for canonization. Cause documents are being prepared for submission to Rome.

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