Well, because of the price of the upkeep of those churches. Not enough priests? Just what would be involved in having services at home? I’m curious. What steps would need to be taken in order to meet at someone’s house?
Simply, since priests do have masses at parishioners homes from time to time, nothing.
The priest will bring his traveling case which contains a chalice and hosts. The wine is supplied as is the water which must be added to the wine. It signifies Christ's nature, human and divine.
That's it.
Mass has been said at my home once in the past.
We have Small Christian Communities which meet at homes as well as prayer and bible studies which meet at home.
As far as the churches, I know of many other denominations that have closed doors because the demographics have changed. Detroit is a case in point because of the many immigrants from Islam.
Most parishes are kept up by the parishioners. Our parish has its cleaning, repair, maintenance and grounds done by the parish members.
Interestingly enough, my husband and our friend painted a Pentecostal rectory, or whatever you call the minister's home for free and did repairs gratis.
They did it because their Pentecostal friend was unable to help because of illness and the congregation is old.
Some people do believe that Christians should help other Christians.
BTW, Mass is WORSHIP is it not something singular.
It is the highest form of adoration.
The mass at my home was for an extraordinary purpose.
Sunday mass is the gathering of all the community for the purpose of adoring the God.
Catholics need an ordained priest to preside over services. Yes, we can have services in homes, but that would be to smaller groups. There just aren’t enough priests to go around. A priest is only allowed to say 2 Masses per day, unless extreme circumstances dictate a dispensation.
In the 1960s (after Vatican 2) we did have home Masses where someone would volunteer their home and invite their neighbors. But, as far as I remember, those Masses were on weekday evenings. They did not count for Sundays.
And we’d still have the cost of upkeep for the buildings. The Church does not allow Catholic churches to just be abandoned. They can be sold with permission of the bishop, if a suitable buyer can be found. A suitable buyer would be another congregation — even a Protestant congregation. But all of the sacred furnishings would need to be removed first.
I belong to a combined Parish, and we have 6 buildings to keep up — 2 churches, 2 rectories, and office building, and a school. The historic, smaller church is used only on Holy Days, weddings, and 1/2 of the weekday Masses. All Sunday Masses are held at the larger, more modern church. Believe me, there was a flap about that when it was announced. It costs $50,000 per year just to keep the snow plowed at all the locations.