At 12:02 a.m. on New Year’s Day, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison welcomed Alexander Raphael Kersting.
Lianna and Luke Kersting of Oregon, parishioners of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff, met their third child just minutes after 12 midnight on January 1.
Alexander weighed nine pounds, seven ounces, and measured 21 and a half inches long at birth.
The name Alexander was chosen because “St. Alexander is mentioned in the same part of the canon as St. Perpetua,” who the family has a dedication to, Lianna said.
“Raphael was [chosen] because he’s the patron saint of the diocese and it’s a little nod to Bishop [Robert C.] Morlino, who made an impact on our lives in so many different ways. We wanted a saint’s name but also [wanted] to show love to this bishop who we love so much.”
In each of their children’s names, the Kerstings aim to have a saintly relationship.
Preparing for Christmas
Lianna said, “We took it easy this Christmas. I intentionally didn’t schedule a lot around the holidays because we wanted to spend as much time as possible being our family of four for the last time.”
“We took a lot of time together. We created our Jesse Tree and had lots of little treats through Advent and [spent] lots of time reading books and watching Christmas movies together.
“We prayed the St. Andrew Novena for Alexander, and [transitional] Deacon Anthony Kersting, Luke’s brother, got to spend a lot of time with us over the Christmas season. So, we’re really thankful for that.”
Marian inspirations
“It was surreal to be praying the Joyful Mysteries, to really be connecting with the season. The kids had a very tangible way to connect, with Jesus being the baby in Mary’s tummy, like our baby is the baby in mama’s tummy. So, that was really sweet,” said Lianna.
Lianna added that it’s particularly special that Alexander will “always have a feast day, always have a party for his birthday” on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Heading into the new year, the Kerstings are looking forward to visiting relatives with Alexander. There are eight children, age four and under, in the extended family.