A special occasion is coming up in my family, and we would like to celebrate it with a mass. Can mass be celebrated at my house? Although celebrating a mass in our home can be considered an honor and a great blessing, there are conditions for this to be done. The documents of the Catholic Church tell us that the celebration of the Eucharist must take place in a sacred place, for example, a cathedral, a church, a chapel or a shrine; unless a case of particular necessity requires otherwise, and in that case, it must be done in a decent place (Canon 932 § 1).
But what could be these situations of particular need? For example: there is no Catholic church nearby, such as in places of armed conflict or trapped on the road after a snow storm. Another special occasion is when the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is celebrated when a faithful is seriously ill, since it is recommended that this sacrament be celebrated within the Eucharist (CCC 1517). Or when the existing church is too small for the community, it can be celebrated in another appropriate place that is worthy of such a great mystery (GIRM 288).
The diocesan Bishop shall be the judge for his diocese concerning this necessity, on a case-by-case basis (Redemptionis Sacramentum 108)
Once permission has been obtained from the diocesan Bishop to celebrate a mass outside a sacred place, there are conditions that must be met:
Instead of a consecrated altar, a suitable table can be used for the Eucharistic Sacrifice, always with a cloth and corporal (Canon 932 § 2).
The celebration of Holy Mass is not to be inserted in any way into the setting of a common meal, nor joined with this kind of banquet. Mass is not to be celebrated on a dinner table nor in a dining room or banquet hall, nor in a room where food is present, nor in a place where the participants during the celebration itself are seated at tables. If out of grave necessity Mass must be celebrated in the same place where eating will later take place, there is to be a clear interval of time between the conclusion of Mass and the beginning of the meal, and ordinary food is not to be set before the faithful during the celebration of Mass. (RS 77)
Let us have reverence for the sacramentality of the great mystery that is the Holy Eucharist, let us go to our local church to celebrate and bless those special occasions in our lives and by being surrounded by holiness in such a sacred place, may this allow us to advance further in our own calling to holiness. (Matthew 5:48)