“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all together in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Acts 2:1-4.
Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The powerful moment as described as above describes the miraculous moment as the Holy Spirit allowed the Apostles to speak in different languages, yet understand one another, which happened as tongues of fire rested on their hands. This event is interpreted in the Church in 2 different ways: they were all speaking different languages, but understood one another or a special holy languages (speaking in tongues) and they understood each other.
Furthermore, they received this gift and other charisms on this day. Once baptized and confirmed, the individual receives one or more charisms from the Holy Spirit.
The holy languages interpretation allows charismatics to have a place in the Church and they do as described with one another. Speaking in tongues is considered a charism within the Church. I recommend reading the Catechism or ask on Catholic Answers on Catholic.com as I am not familiar with this aspect of the Church.
The languages interpretation, which I agree with this interpretation, is that the Apostles spoke in different languages to one another, yet were able to understand one another through the gifts of the Holy Spirit as he descended upon the Church. In essence, it was a reversal of the punishment at the Tower of Babel in which a wicked king ordered the construction of a tower to get into Heaven. God punished everyone because of this blasphemous act making people to speak in different languages so that they could not understand one another. The event at Pentecost, as humanity could understand one another in one language thousands of years later in the Holy Spirit, reversed the punishment at Babel.
Humans who converted and entered the Church now had a common language of understanding one another through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the birth of the Church as the first Pope, St. Peter, preached the first homily and 3,000 people converted on that day. Praise Jesus Christ now and forever.
Spirit Walk 