Bishop Joseph Brendan Whelan, C.S.Sp.(1909-1990), was an Irish Spiritan priest who served as Bishop of Owerri in Nigeria..

Born 25 May 1909 in St Michael's Parish, Limerick City, his secondary schooling was at Blackrock College in Dublin, joining the Holy Ghost Fathers, he studied at University College Dublin, where he took first place and was a scholarship winner in his BA. In 1934 he went to Rome to study Theology at the Gregorian University, earning an Honours Doctorate.^{[citation needed]}

Whelan served as Bishop of Owerri from 1950 to 1970 (during the Nigerian Civil War when he was imprisoned prior to being deported^[1]), before Owerri was elevated to a diocese, he was appointed in 1948 as Vicar Apostolic of Owerri.^{[citation needed]} Following deportation to Ireland Bishop Whelan received a very warm welcome in Dublin, with politicians, religious leaders and the general public turning out to celebrate his release, on his return.^[2]

Following his deportation from Nigeria, he worked at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and returned to Kimmage Manor in 1971.^{[citation needed]}

He died on 8 December 1990.^[3]