Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien apologized Thursday for the pain caused by the recent round of Catholic school closings, as he visited a new elementary school intended to provide seats for displaced students.

"I am sorry for the disappointment and pain that I know will remain for a while," O'Brien said in an interview. "To grow and heal, there has to be some pain. We are building a solid school system that will be stable and solid for a long time into the future."

Holy Angels Elementary opens Sept. 7 in a wing of Seton Keough High School on Caton Avenue. The $1.4 million school will serve some of the students displaced by the archdiocese consolidation plan that led to the closing of a dozen elementaries and Cardinal Gibbons High School in June. He had not publicly spoken about the closings since announcing the decision in March.

The closings embittered many parents, some of whom vowed to leave the Catholic school system.

"The last months have been difficult for all of us, but there have been good life lessons," he said. "We are still hoping to keep 100 percent of these students in Catholic schools," he said.

Area Catholic high schools are waiving deadlines for Gibbons students, O'Brien said.

The new, co-ed elementary shares a portion of the all-girls school. Holy Angels and other elementaries are still taking applications for this school year. A few prospective parents were discussing their options with the school staff as the archbishop passed by the office.

"Many are flocking to the elementaries," he said. "I know many are still on the fence, but we are doing our best to let people know there is a seat for every student. Each child matters."

Holy Angels has room for about 250 boys and girls in preschool through eighth grade. It has enrolled about 150 and will continue to accept students for the next several days, said Kathleen Filippelli, principal.

O'Brien had entered the three-story brick building by way of the high school's foyer. Karen Hanrahan, president of the two schools, welcomed him "to everybody's school." He walked through double glass doors to the preschool and elementary classrooms and through another set of doors to the elementary's entry.

"These are two distinct units designed to show the clear mission of each," he said. "I see good combustion here with the Holy Spirit as the catalyst."

Some Seton Keough families voiced opposition to the addition of an elementary to the campus where 450 girls attend classes.

"I didn't want to be part of an ele-high school," said Rianna Frazer, a senior from Owings Mills. "It is taking away from the identity of our school."

Allie Holtman, her classmate, said she hopes the changes will stabilize the high school and help keep it open for years to come.

"We don't want our school to disappear, like Gibbons did," said Allie, who lives in Edgemere.

Angela Calamari, principal at Seton Keough, said many now see the two schools as "a collaborative venture that will be a blessing to all involved."

Patricia M. Amato, an alumna who is now president of the Seton Keough board, said she will strive for collaboration between the schools.

"We have to embrace change," she said. "Without it, we are static."

At a faculty luncheon, O'Brien praised the cooperative spirit and mingled with the teachers. He indulged social studies teacher Kathleen Jauschnegg's request for an autograph for her two young sons, who attend Catholic school. A blank sheet of paper gave him more writing space than the typical parish bulletin he is often handed.

"To Peter the elder and Simon the younger, prayers and good wishes," he wrote above his signature.

mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com