The parking lot was packed on Grattan Street as parents from the now closed, Saint Patrick's School filed in looking for another school. The Nolan's are one of them.

"I said you know, it might close before she's in 8th grade and he said, no we'll just go for it," Laura Nolan says, recalling a previous conversation with her husband.

Little Emma hasn't started kindergarten and is already searching for another school.

Victims of the closed Saint Patrick's, the Nolan's make the rounds, stopping at all three Chicopee schools.

In the recent years Parish funded Catholic schools have seen a drop in attendance, which means a drop in funding, and results, in closing.

Here are some numbers: in 2001, Holy Name had 204 students. This year, 167 are enrolled. St. Joan of Arc had 370 in 01. That's dropped by 60 in 6 years. And St. Stanislaus taught 414 students in 01 and only 376 in 2007.

"This is a tremendous economic impact and parishes are having a hard time making ends meet," says Mark Dupont of the Springfield Diocese.

That's why this week, the church is calling a private meeting with the bishop and the area principals to discuss ways to keep the schools alive.

"Many of these families are working class families. They're struggling with energy costs, food costs rising, so we understand where they're coming from," Dupont says.

While would be easy for them to give up and send Emma to a public school, they Nolans are looking to keep their beliefs close.

"I went to a parochial school when I was younger and I had a great time there and it was like an extended family. I want that for my daughter. Start off in kindergarten with the catholic school and stay true to her faith and continue on," Nolan says.