Intelligent redesign.

When I meet U.S. CATHOLIC readers face to face, they often are surprised at how I look. Perhaps a name like Heidi encourages expectations of braids and lederhosen. Last year when we began an "Editors' Picks" feature in our November book issue, several readers wrote and e-mailed that they liked seeing our faces. So now we are adding them to the monthly Editors' Note. See, no braids!

This is just one of many changes you'll notice this month as part of a redesign of the magazine. U.S. CATHOLIC was last redesigned in 1999, when it also became full color. This time we're making smaller adjustments but some we hope you will appreciate. Most of them are design changes we believe give the magazine a more modern feel.

In response to many readers' concerns, we've switched to a typeface that is easier to read. We've moved some departments around and renamed others (the Interview is now Expert Witness), and we're also launching a few new features. For example, we've expanded our coverage of popular culture with reviews of books, movies, music, and websites (see pages 44-45). And next month we'll debut a new alternating feature profiling the spiritual giants who inspire Catholics today.

This was truly a collaborative effort involving all the editors, but two deserve special recognition: Production Editor Karen Marousek and Art Director Tom Wright. For several months they have brainstormed, designed and redesigned, and tinkered with the changes. We are grateful to have such creative talent on our team.

Although the work of artists, designers, and writers is one way to share in God's creative power, one of the most profound is through physical procreation. When couples find they can't have biological children--as more than 6 million infertile Americans do--they often struggle spiritually as well as emotionally. That reality, in addition to my own experiences with infertility, led to this month's cover story, "Inconceivable: The spiritual test of infertility" (pages 12-17).

While infertility is not just a challenge for women, it still is a good cover story for our first-ever special Women's Issue. You may notice more women's faces and names in our pages than usual this month: Expert Witness Paula D'Arcy (pages 18-22), U.S. Catholic Award winner Justice Anne Burke (pages 34-37), and In Person subject Kate Sullivan (pages 46-47). This month's Sounding Board argues, "Let's get in touch with God's feminine side" (pages 24-28), Margin Notes looks at the plight of women worldwide, while "A woman's place is in the Bible" (pages 30-33) introduces us to the women of the Old Testament.

While our look may be slightly different, U.S. CATHOLIC remains the same open-minded magazine it's always been. Next month look for another editor's smiling mug in this spot.